Deformulation

Also known as “reverse engineering,” deformulation is the determination of a product’s components. There are many reasons for doing this type of analysis. If you own the patent on a product, you might wish to check your competitor’s products to determine if they are infringing your patents. If your competitor’s product works better than yours, you might want to know what ingredients they are using so that you can modify or improve your product. Sometimes, a company is reselling a product that is supplied by an outside manufacturer. If they suddenly cease to supply you, your business will collapse unless you know exactly what you have been selling and can locate another source. And sometimes it is just for marketing purposes. You might want to compare the levels of a key ingredient in your product and your competitors’ products to show why yours is superior.

For these and many other reasons, we are frequently asked to determine the complete formulation of a product. There is no single approach to this – each material requires focused and individualized research. However, there are often ways to get the key information that you need in a cost-effective manner. To determine the best approach for your situation, contact us. It takes a bit of discussion to figure out the optimal way for us to help you.