BATON ROUGE — The state of Louisiana agreed to settle a pair of lawsuits against CVS Health.

A federal judge in Lafayette this week dismissed claims without prejudice, which means they could be filed again. U.S. District Judge David C. Joseph also adopted a magistrate's recommendation that the matter not be sent back to a state court, where it was initially filed this past summer.

Last month, Joseph had given the state three weeks to respond to CVS' arguments that the state lacked "personal jurisdiction" and that the state had failed to state a claim for which relief could be granted. 

On the jurisdiction question, the state responded by saying CVS' trade practices harmed independent pharmacies in Louisiana and that the attorney general's office was acting to protect the health and safety of its citizens.

Regarding its claims, Louisiana said it was attempted to stop pharmacy benefits managers to use their "dominant ... status to inflict economic harm" on independent pharmacies.

Five days after the responses were filed, Joseph said the matters were dismissed.

A third lawsuit about CVS sending text messages to Louisiana customers regarding a bill banning pharmacy benefit managers is still pending in St. Landry Parish.

CVS declined to comment. The Attorney General's Office said it would provide more information on Monday.