NEW YORK, Feb 23 (Reuters) – Bayer sued Johnson & Johnson on Monday, accusing the rival drugmaker of falsely advertising a drug intended to treat prostate cancer.

According to a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, Johnson & Johnson launched a false advertising campaign against Bayer’s Nubeqa drug, in order to promote and demonstrate the alleged superiority of its own drug, Erleada.

Bayer is seeking triple damages, the recoupment of alleged ill-gotten profits, and an injunction to stop Johnson & Johnson’s alleged false advertising.

Johnson & Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by Friederike Heine in Berlin; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Chizu Nomiyama)