# Johns Hopkins Hospital

Type: organization

Source: GetYourBrief — https://getyourbrief.com/entity/johns-hopkins-hospital
Canonical HTML page: https://getyourbrief.com/entity/johns-hopkins-hospital

## Timeline

- **2026-02-27**: Novartis Settlement — Novartis announces a confidential settlement with the Henrietta Lacks estate.
- **2026-02-26**: Novartis Settlement — Novartis reaches an agreement to resolve the estate's claims of unjust enrichment.
- **2026-02-26**: Novartis Settlement — Novartis resolves its legal dispute with the estate over the commercial use of HeLa cells.
- **2024**: Ultragenyx Settlement — Ultragenyx settles with the estate over HeLa cell usage in gene therapy research.
- **2023-08-01**: Thermo Fisher Settlement — The Lacks estate reaches the first major settlement with a biotech company over HeLa cells.
- **2023-08-01**: Thermo Fisher Settlement — A landmark confidential settlement is reached, setting a precedent for the industry.
- **2023**: Thermo Fisher Settlement — Thermo Fisher Scientific reaches a historic settlement with the Lacks family.
- **2021-10-04**: First Major Lawsuit — The Lacks estate files suit against Thermo Fisher Scientific on the 70th anniversary of her death.
- **2021**: First Major Lawsuit — The Lacks estate files its first major lawsuit against Thermo Fisher Scientific.
- **1953**: Mass Production — HeLa cells are mass-produced and distributed globally, becoming a cornerstone of modern research.
- **1951-10-04**: Death of Henrietta Lacks — Lacks passes away from cancer, unaware her cells have become the first immortal human cell line.
- **1951-10-04**: HeLa Immortality — Researchers discover the cells can reproduce indefinitely, creating the first immortal human cell line.
- **1951-02-01**: Cells Harvested — Henrietta Lacks' cervical cancer cells are harvested at Johns Hopkins without her consent.
- **1951-02-01**: Cells Harvested — Henrietta Lacks' cervical cancer cells are taken without consent at Johns Hopkins.
- **1951**: Cells Harvested — Henrietta Lacks' cells are harvested without consent during cancer treatment at Johns Hopkins.

## Recent coverage (3 stories, network-wide)

### Novartis Settles With Henrietta Lacks Estate Over HeLa Cell Usage
2026-02-27 01:28:17 · Sector: bio · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 5/10 · Sources: 2

Novartis has reached a confidential settlement with the estate of Henrietta Lacks, ending litigation over the unauthorized use of her 'immortal' HeLa cells. This marks the latest in a series of legal victories for the Lacks family against pharmaceutical giants that profited from cells taken without consent in 1951.
Full story: https://getbiobrief.com/story/novartis-settles-henrietta-lacks-hela-lawsuit

### Novartis Settles with Henrietta Lacks Estate Over Unauthorized HeLa Cell Use
2026-02-27 01:27:42 · Sector: health · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 5/10 · Sources: 2

Novartis has reached a confidential settlement with the estate of Henrietta Lacks, resolving claims that the pharmaceutical giant unjustly profited from her 'immortal' cell line. This agreement marks a major milestone in the ongoing legal and ethical reckoning over the historical exploitation of Black patients in medical research.
Full story: https://gethealthbrief.com/story/novartis-henrietta-lacks-settlement-hela-cells

### Novartis Settles With Henrietta Lacks Estate Over Unauthorized HeLa Cell Use
2026-02-27 01:22:07 · Sector: legal · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 5/10 · Sources: 2

Novartis has reached a settlement with the estate of Henrietta Lacks, addressing the decades-long commercial exploitation of her 'immortal' HeLa cells without consent. This agreement marks a significant legal precedent for the biotechnology industry, highlighting the shift toward accountability for biological material provenance in modern medicine.
Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/novartis-settles-henrietta-lacks-hela-cells

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