March 20 (Reuters) - EyePoint ( EYPT ) filed a lawsuit

on Friday accusing rival Ocular Therapeutix ( OCUL ) of

spreading false or misleading information about EyePoint ( EYPT ) and its

lead experimental eye drug.

The complaint was filed in Middlesex County Superior Court

for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The two companies are rivals in the race to develop

longer-lasting treatments for serious retinal diseases,

including wet age-related macular degeneration, or wet AMD, a

leading cause of vision loss in older adults.

EyePoint ( EYPT ) said Ocular Therapeutix ( OCUL ) made statements that

misrepresented the company and the clinical results of the drug,

Duravyu.

The company is accusing Ocular Therapeutix ( OCUL ) of defamation,

commercial disparagement, and violations of Massachusetts

consumer protection law. It also accused Ocular Therapeutix ( OCUL ) of

interfering with its business relationships.

Ocular did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for

comment.

EyePoint ( EYPT ) is asking the court to order Ocular Therapeutix ( OCUL ) to

stop making the statements, issue a public retraction, and pay

monetary damages and legal fees.

Duravyu is currently being evaluated in late-stage studies

for wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular

edema, with data for wet AMD expected beginning in mid-2026.

Ocular's leading eye drug, Axpaxli, meanwhile, met the main

goal of a key late-stage trial last month, helping patients with

wet AMD maintain their vision compared to Regeneron's

approved blockbuster drug Eylea.