Professor who reportedly paused UK puberty blockers trial removed over bias claims | Transgender
A health official who reportedly intervened to pause a clinical trial on the use of puberty blockers has been removed from further involvement amid accusations of bias.
Prof Jacob George, who was appointed chief medical and scientific officer at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in January, voiced the concerns. road trial is being suspended by the government according to Sunday Times.
But the regulator announced on Saturday that George would recuse himself from attending the hearing after gender-critical social media posts emerged last year.
In one post, he described author JK Rowling, known for her gender-critical views, as “the treasure of our time.” In another, he said the “denial of basic biological fact is alarming” regarding questions about whether Olympic boxer Imane Khelif is a woman.
The MHRA said George’s posts were removed from the hearing as a precaution, even though they were made before his appointment.
The Pathways trial, which aims to assess the impact of puberty blockers on children questioning their gender identity, was due to begin recruiting participants in January. But it was halted in February after the medicines regulator raised concerns about the health of children and young people taking part.
The youngest participants were expected to be between 10 and 11 years old for biological females and 11 to 12 for biological males, but the team said the rigorous selection process at the time meant participants were likely to be older.
But the regulator has now said the minimum age should be 14 due to the “unquantifiable risk” of “long-term biological harms”. The clinical trial was planned to include an estimated 226 young people over the next three years.
The trial was announced following the Cass review’s recommendation on child gender care; This recommendation concluded that the quality of studies claiming to show the benefits of such medications for youth with gender dysphoria was “poor”.
Dr. who conducted this review. Hilary Cass has previously said her report “reveals a very weak evidence base” for the benefits of puberty blockers for children and young people with gender dysphoria, but “given that there are clinicians, children and families who passionately believe in their beneficial effects, the only way to find out is a trial”.
Consultant paediatrician Dr Dr., who previously worked for the NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Service. Max Davie said there was no compelling scientific reason to pause the trial.
“Professor George’s tweets are a clear indication of his personal views on the matter,” he said. “He is free to hold any views regarding his gender identity, but what he cannot do is allow those views to influence the discharge of his public duty.”
He added: “To be clear, there is no compelling scientific reason to stop the Pathways trial. While Prof George’s personal convictions are not the only possible explanation for the MHRA’s sudden change, it is all we have in evidence.”
An MHRA spokesman said: “In all clinical trials, the MHRA’s top priority is the safety and welfare of trial participants. As part of this commitment, complex clinical trials are continually reviewed and the MHRA maintains an active scientific dialogue with trial sponsors.”
“The MHRA has world-class medical, scientific and regulatory experts working as a multi-disciplinary team to make evidence-based decisions in clinical trials. These experts will continue to meet with King’s College London to work constructively on the next steps.
“Following the discovery of social media posts made prior to his appointment, Prof Jacob George was banned from further participation in the Pathways clinical trial as a precaution.”
