Overview
- Campaigners from the Bayswater Support Group, psychotherapist James Esses and Keira Bell have issued pre‑action legal letters to the MHRA and HRA seeking suspension of the PATHWAY trial and signaling a potential judicial review.
- The NHS‑funded study, led by King’s College London, plans to randomise about 226 under‑16s to receive puberty blockers immediately or after a one‑year delay to measure mental wellbeing, bone density and brain development.
- The Health Research Authority says the trial has all necessary approvals and the MHRA stresses participant safety, while researchers expect to begin recruiting in the new year and to publish results in roughly four years.
- Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who made the national prescribing ban permanent in 2024, says he is not comfortable with the clinical trial but is following expert advice that research is needed.
- Critics, including Conservative politicians and advocacy groups, argue the trial is unlawful and unethical and warn of potential long‑term harms, while supporters say controlled research is required to guide future care.