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.

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.

"We're confident in our statements and look forward to responding in the course of the legal process," an Ocular spokesperson said.

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.