The largest U.S. drug industry group and several drug companies have lost a bid to block a Maryland law requiring drugmakers to offer discounts on drugs dispensed by third-party pharmacies that contract with hospitals and clinics serving low-income populations. U.S. District Judge Matthew Maddox in Baltimore on Thursday refused to issue a preliminary order blocking the law while he hears a challenge to it by PhRMA, Novartis, AbbVie and AstraZeneca. The judge's written order did not explain his reasoning, but referred to statements he made from the bench at a hearing on Wednesday. Lawyers for the companies, and the office of Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
