May 23rd 2024.
A federal judge has made a monumental decision, granting the family of Henrietta Lacks the green light to move forward with their lawsuit against pharmaceutical company Ultragenyx. The family is seeking compensation for the groundbreaking HeLa cells that were derived from Lacks' body.
According to The Baltimore Banner, Ultragenyx had attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed, but the judge denied their motion, confirming the family's right to pursue legal action. Chris Ayers, the attorney representing the Lacks family, emphasized the importance of this milestone, stating, "It is incredibly significant to be able to represent the family and continue litigation against companies that have been profiting off of Henrietta Lacks."
As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, the Lacks family initiated legal action against the pharmaceutical industry, alleging that Lacks' cells were taken without her consent during her treatment for cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins in 1951. These cells, successfully cloned, have led to groundbreaking advancements in medicine and pharmaceuticals, including the development of vaccines and treatments for diseases like AIDS and COVID-19.
The Baltimore Banner also noted that Ultragenyx is not the first company to face legal action from the Lacks family. In 2023, the family reached a settlement with biotech company Thermo Fisher Scientific, which had been using Lacks' immortal "HeLa cells" for medical research. This settlement was a significant victory for the family, as these cells are still being used today.
Attorney Ayers stated, "This is just the first step in holding the scientific community accountable for their continued misuse of Mrs. Lacks' cells and the perpetuation of business practices that occurred over 70 years ago." The family's legal team also includes renowned civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who has partnered with lawyer Christopher Seeger to investigate nearly 100 defendants involved in the unauthorized use of Lacks' cells.
In a statement to CBS News, attorneys Crump and Seeger expressed their gratitude for the judge's decision. They also see this ruling as an opportunity to right a monumental wrong and welcome pharmaceutical companies to come to the table and resolve the matter on behalf of the Lacks family.
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