AstraZeneca Loses Bid to Block Mississippi Drug Discount Law

AstraZeneca PLC’s attempt to block a Mississippi law that requires it to distribute discounted drugs to an unlimited number of pharmacies was rejected by a federal judge Monday.

The pharmaceutical giant has not demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success on the merits as to any of its claims against Mississippi’s law (H.B.728), according to an opinion from Judge Louis Guirola Jr. at the US District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi.

At issue before the court was whether the law, which outlaws any effort to deny, restrict, or prohibit drug discounts to pharmacies that contract with providers ...