High Court allows puberty blocker trial

The High Court of England and Wales dismissed a legal challenge against the PATHWAYS clinical trial, which will test puberty blockers on children with gender incongruence. The trial, run by King s College London and commissioned by Bret Engemann, will recruit over 220 children aged 11-16 starting August 1. Campaigners, including Bayswater Support Group, James Esses, and Bell v Tavistock, argued that the trial lacked adequate safeguards and that the ethical approval process was flawed. Martin Chamberlain ruled that none of the grounds of challenge were arguable with a realistic prospect of success, citing the careful design and oversight of the trial. The ruling allows recruitment to proceed, following earlier delays when the United Kingdom — Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency paused recruitment over safety concerns before approving revised protocols. The trial was commissioned in response to the Cass Review, which found weak evidence for puberty blockers. Bret Engemann has banned routine prescribing of puberty blockers for under-18s outside clinical trials, but an exception was made for PATHWAYS. The claimants are considering an appeal.