Age agreed for puberty blocker trial

A MINIMUM age of 11 has been agreed for children recruited to a puberty blocker trial which some campaigners have said should be axed completely amid concerns around harm to young people.

- 

The trial was paused in February with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) recommending participants should be at least 14 years old.

The research, led by King’s College London (KCL) and known as Pathways, was launched last year following a recommendation by the 2024 Cass Review into children’s gender care, which concluded that the quality of research claiming to show the benefits of puberty blockers for youngsters with gender dysphoria was “poor”.

Researchers said the UK-wide clinical study aims to provide evidence on how the timing of treatment affects quality of life, mental health, physical development, cognitive function, and gender-related distress.

The trial was originally intended to involve around 226 people aged between 10 and almost 16 when it was launched in November.