General · 21 February 2026
UK Puberty Blockers Trial Paused After MHRA Raises Safety Concerns
Photo by Mathias Reding on Unsplash
A major clinical trial investigating the use of puberty blockers in children and young people has been paused after the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) raised “new concerns” about safety and wellbeing, particularly over long-term biological risks. Recruitment for the PATHWAYS trial will not begin until the MHRA and King’s College London resolve these issues. The study, designed to build evidence on hormone-suppressing drugs after weak existing research, aimed to involve children as young as 10.
Reported by Ground News · How we write briefs