Gilead drops artery disease drug cicletanine after trial failure

Gilead Sciences Inc.'s heart and lung disease drug cicletanine failed a mid-stage trial, Dow Jones reported Tuesday, and the company is discontinuing development of the drug. Foster City-based Gilead (NASDAQ: GILD) picked up cicletanine, aimed at pulmonary arterial hypertension patients, for an initial $10.9 million in May 2008 from Navitas Assets LLC.