March 03, 2025
A Maryland federal judge on Monday refused to toss a lawsuit lodged by the family of the late Henrietta Lacks against biotechnology company Ultragenyx for allegedly profiting off her stolen "immortal" cells, saying proof Ultragenyx engaged in intrastate business in Maryland would thwart its contention the lawsuit was filed too late.
September 17, 2024
Seven decades have passed since a doctor at a Baltimore hospital took, without permission, a sample of cells from a Black woman suffering from cervical cancer. While the durable strain of human cells known as "HeLa" has fueled a handful of lawsuits against drug companies accused of profiting from stolen genetic material, more are likely on the way.
May 21, 2024
BigLaw lawyers get deeper into sanction spat, a case over profits from harvested cancer cells, and a Texas Supreme Court decision in a Fen-Phen malpractice suit. Law360 Healthcare Authority looks at those and other developments from the week in healthcare litigation.
May 20, 2024
The family of the late Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cells were harvested without her knowledge to create the first immortalized human cell line, can pursue their suit alleging Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical "made a fortune" using her stolen cells to develop gene therapy treatments, a Maryland federal judge ruled Monday.
August 11, 2023
The family of the late Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cells were harvested without her knowledge to create the first immortalized human cell line, sued Ultragenyx in Maryland federal court Thursday, alleging the biopharmaceutical company "has made a fortune" using her stolen cells in developing gene therapy treatments.