EyePoint Pharmaceuticals initiated legal action on March 20, filing a complaint in Middlesex County Superior Court for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that accuses rival Ocular Therapeutix of making false or misleading statements about EyePoint and its lead experimental therapy, Duravyu.
The companies are direct competitors in efforts to develop longer-duration treatments for serious retinal diseases, including wet age-related macular degeneration - commonly referred to as wet AMD - which the complaint notes is a leading cause of vision loss in older adults.
According to the filing, EyePoint alleges that Ocular Therapeutix published statements that mischaracterized both the company and the clinical performance of Duravyu. The complaint lists multiple legal claims: defamation, commercial disparagement, violations of Massachusetts consumer protection law, and interference with business relationships.
EyePoint is asking the court to impose multiple remedies. The company requests that the court order Ocular Therapeutix to cease making the contested statements, require a public retraction, and award EyePoint monetary damages and reimbursement of its legal expenses.
"We’re confident in our statements and look forward to responding in the course of the legal process," an Ocular spokesperson said.
The suit comes as Duravyu is undergoing late-stage clinical evaluation for both wet AMD and diabetic macular edema, with Duravyu data for wet AMD expected beginning in mid-2026. The filing frames the dispute against a backdrop of active late-stage development for competing therapies.
Ocular Therapeutix has its own late-stage program for an eye drug, Axpaxli. The filing notes that Axpaxli met the main goal of a key late-stage trial last month by helping patients with wet AMD maintain their vision compared with Regeneron's approved drug Eylea.
The complaint centers on the alleged impact of Ocular Therapeutix's statements on EyePoint's business relationships and commercial standing. Beyond seeking to stop the statements and a public retraction, EyePoint is pursuing damages tied to the alleged harm caused.
Context and next steps
The case will proceed through the Massachusetts court system, where the parties can present evidence and arguments concerning the claims laid out in the complaint. Ocular has signaled it will defend the accuracy of its statements through the legal process.
No additional factual claims, outcomes or timelines beyond what is described in the complaint and company statements are presented in the filing.