EyePoint sues rival Ocular Therapeutix, alleging false claims about eye drug

March 20 (Reuters) - EyePoint EYPT.O filed a lawsuit on Friday accusing rival Ocular Therapeutix OCUL.O of spreading false or misleading information about EyePoint 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 said Ocular Therapeutix made statements that misrepresented the company and the clinical results of the drug, Duravyu.

The company is accusing Ocular Therapeutix of defamation, commercial disparagement, and violations of Massachusetts consumer protection law. It also accused Ocular Therapeutix of interfering with its business relationships.

Ocular did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

EyePoint is asking the court to order Ocular Therapeutix 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 REGN.O approved blockbuster drug Eylea.