The Government's health watchdog has confirmed it will not be recommending a life-extending bone cancer drug for use on the NHS in England and Wales.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), which has come under repeated fire in recent months, was officially due to announce its decision on bortezomib (commonly known as Velcade) on Tuesday.
But, following media reports of the impending announcement, it decided to publish its final draft guidance, which is still subject to appeal.
A statement said that further clinical studies were needed to establish when Velcade "should be used in the care of people with multiple myeloma in comparison with the other drugs currently used".
Andrea Sutcliffe, executive lead for the appraisal, said Nice was "extremely concerned about misleading coverage" in some newspapers and said the drug was only approved in Scotland "as a last resort when all other licensed treatment options have been exhausted".
She added: "It is one thing to criticise our decision not to recommend the use of this drug, but quite another to unfairly raise patient expectations about the effect of this drug and its availability in other parts of the UK.
"The independent Appraisal Committee, having considered the comments received during consultation on the earlier draft of the guidance, has not changed its earlier conclusion that, although the drug is clinically effective compared with high dose dexamethasone, its cost effectiveness has not been satisfactorily demonstrated and therefore further research is required."
Earlier, three women who desperately want Velcade vowed to continue their fight in court. Janice Wrigglesworth, 59, Jacky Pickles, 44, and Marie Morton, 57, said they would step up their appeal for the drug
Mrs Pickles, who has been suffering from myeloma for almost five years, said she was disgusted that England was stuck in the "dark ages". The women, from in and around Keighley in West Yorkshire, have launched a website, www.velcadethree.co.uk, to raise funds.
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Velcade costs between £9,000 and £18,000 for a course of treatment, but Nice disputed reports saying it extended lives by up to seven years, saying extended life expectancy was, on average, less than one year.
