Christians have welcomed the news that the controversial Pathways clinical trial into puberty blockers for young people has been paused after concerns were raised by the medicines regulator, the MHRA.
The trial was due to commence in April with clinicians from trial sponsor, King's College London, researching the effects of puberty suppressing hormones on the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of children as young as 10. Some 220 children under the age of 16 were to be involved in the trial and monitored over a two-year period.
The Department of Health and Social Care said on Friday that the trial would not start to recruit participants until the issues raised by MHRA have been resolved. These concerns relate to "biological safety" and the age of participants, which MHRA suggested should be raised to 14.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "We have always been clear about the red lines regarding this trial – ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the children and young people involved and always being led by the clinical evidence.
"The MHRA has now raised new concerns – directly related to the wellbeing of children and young people – and scientific dialogue will now follow with the trial sponsor.
"As the evidence is now being interrogated by clinicians, preparations for the trial have been paused while the MHRA and clinical leaders work through these concerns.
"This trial will only be allowed to go ahead if the expert scientific and clinical evidence and advice conclude it is both safe and necessary.
"The safety and wellbeing of children and young people have always been the driving consideration in every decision we have made regarding this trial and always will be."
Simon Calvert is Deputy Director at The Christian Institute, which has opposed the trans agenda for well over two decades. He was among the critics welcoming the pause while urging the government to go further and cancel it completely.
“It is dangerous and immoral to use children as guinea pigs for drugs that we already know are harmful for them and useless at treating gender dysphoria," he said.
"In the overwhelming majority of cases, childhood confusion about gender typically resolves during puberty. So these drugs block the very process which relieves that confusion.
"We must hope and pray this outbreak of common sense is permanent and that the trial never goes ahead."
Puberty blockers for people under the age of 18 questioning their gender have been banned in the UK since 2024.
James Esses, a therapist and leading campaigner against the puberty blockers trial, recently joined with other opponents to launch High Court action aimed at stopping the trial from going ahead.
He said, "This is a huge victory but now we must compel them to abandon it completely. This poison must never enter another child’s body."
A number of MPs have made similar calls to the government to abandon the trial.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said, "Let’s focus on giving children and young people a positive body image instead of drugging them into oblivion and leading them down the path of irreversible biological changes.
"No child can consent to such treatments. So it is right that this unethical trial is paused. It should be stopped completely."
Rosie Duffield MP questioned why the government does not instead draw on existing data on children and young people who were previously prescribed puberty blockers.
Claire Coutinho MP said, "Whatever you want to do as an adult, shouldn’t be a decision for when you’re a child. I hope Wes Streeting now ends this trial for good."
