Thinking in Two Directions: Harita S. Achanta on FTO Strategy for Complex Formulations at PIUG 2026
Presented at the PIUG 2026 Joint Annual & Biotech Conference | May 19, 2026
Speaker: Harita S. Achanta, Director – Marketing & HR, SciTech Patent Art Services Pvt. Ltd.
SciTech Patent Art Services is proud to announce that Harita S. Achanta, Director – Marketing & HR, presented at the PIUG 2026 Joint Annual & Biotech Conference, one of the world’s premier events for patent information professionals.
Her presentation, “Strategic Two-Pronged Approach to Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) for Complex Formulations,” addressed a challenge frequently encountered by intellectual property, R&D, and innovation teams across the pharmaceutical, chemical, and biotechnology industries: how to conduct comprehensive and defensible Freedom-to-Operate analyses without compromising proprietary information or exceeding budgetary constraints.
Drawing on SciTech’s extensive experience in patent searching and analytics, the session offered practical strategies for balancing confidentiality, efficiency, and risk management in formulation-based FTO projects.
About PIUG
The Patent Information Users Group (PIUG) is the leading international association for patent information professionals. Through education, networking, advocacy, and knowledge sharing, PIUG supports the advancement of patent information practice worldwide.
The PIUG Joint Annual & Biotech Conference brings together professionals from industry, law firms, government agencies, and research institutions to exchange insights on emerging challenges and best practices in patent information and intellectual property management. Being selected to present at PIUG is a recognition of expertise, thought leadership, and meaningful contributions to the profession.
The Challenge: Conducting FTO Analyses Without Exposing Sensitive Know-How
Freedom-to-Operate analysis is a critical component of product development and commercialization. Before launching a new product, organizations must understand the patent landscape to identify potential infringement risks and make informed business decisions.
For complex formulations, however, FTO work presents a unique challenge.
A comprehensive formulation review often requires disclosure of a product’s complete composition, including proprietary ingredient combinations, concentrations, and formulation strategies. Many organizations are understandably reluctant to share such information externally, particularly when it represents valuable competitive know-how.
At the same time, increasing product development timelines, expanding patent landscapes, and limited internal IP resources frequently create a need for external search support.
This creates a strategic dilemma:
How can organizations leverage external patent search expertise while safeguarding confidential formulation details?
The Two-Pronged Methodology
Harita’s presentation introduced a proven two-pronged methodology developed by SciTech Patent Art to address this challenge. The approach enables organizations to select the level of disclosure that best aligns with their confidentiality requirements, operational needs, and budget considerations.
Prong 1: The complete Formulation Search
When confidentiality concerns are limited and the client is comfortable sharing the complete formulation, SciTech conducts a comprehensive Freedom-to-Operate search across the entire composition.
This approach provides:
• A holistic assessment of the formulation.
• Identification of potentially relevant or blocking patents.
• Highly targeted search results suitable for legal review and decision-making.
• Greater efficiency in generating actionable FTO insights.
For organizations that can safely disclose the formulation under appropriate confidentiality agreements, this method offers the most direct path toward a robust FTO assessment.
Prong 2: Isolated Ingredient Search
When confidentiality is paramount, SciTech employs an alternative methodology designed to protect sensitive information.
Under this approach, each ingredient is searched independently without revealing the complete formulation to the external search team. The resulting patent information is then provided to the client, who performs the final analysis internally while maintaining full control over the confidential formulation details.
This methodology offers several advantages:
• Protection of proprietary formulation knowledge.
• Reduced exposure of sensitive technical information.
• Access to specialized patent search expertise without full disclosure.
• Flexible support for organizations with strict confidentiality requirements.
By separating the search process from the final formulation-level analysis, organizations can achieve a practical balance between confidentiality and comprehensive patent risk assessment.
Practical Takeaways for Patent and R&D Professionals
Attendees gained insight into:
• Search design considerations for formulation-based FTO projects.
• Database selection and query-development strategies.
• The strengths and limitations of each search methodology.
• Budgetary and timeline implications for different project scenarios.
• Best practices for managing confidentiality while maintaining search quality.
The session provided a practical framework for determining which approach is most appropriate based on an organization’s specific risk profile, business objectives, and operational constraints.
About the Speaker
Harita S. Achanta serves as Director – Marketing & HR at SciTech Patent Art Services, a global intellectual property research and analytics firm.
She holds a degree in Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering, is a U.S. Registered Patent Agent, and has earned an MBA. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with multinational organizations across a wide range of industries, helping clients leverage patent intelligence to support innovation, product development, and strategic decision-making.
Her combination of technical knowledge, patent expertise, and business acumen enables her to bring a uniquely practical perspective to intellectual property challenges. Her selection to present at PIUG 2026 — on a topic that sits at the intersection of IP strategy, client confidentiality, and operational efficiency — reflects both her expertise and SciTech’s commitment to delivering innovative, client-focused solutions in the evolving IP landscape.
SciTech’s Commitment to the Global Patent Information Community
Harita’s presentation continues SciTech’s long-standing tradition of contributing to the advancement of the global patent information profession.
The session follows Dr. Srin Achanta’s presentation at PIUG 2025 on unconventional strategies for invalidity searches, marking two consecutive years of SciTech representation at one of the industry’s most respected conferences.
This continued participation reflects our commitment to sharing knowledge, advancing best practices, and contributing to the growth of the patent information community. Since our founding in 2002, SciTech Patent Art Services has remained dedicated not only to delivering high-quality patent intelligence solutions but also to helping shape the future of the profession through thought leadership and active industry engagement.
Looking for a Confidential and Effective Freedom-to-Operate Strategy?
Whether you are preparing for a new product launch, evaluating formulation risks, or navigating complex patent landscapes, choosing the right FTO approach is critical to informed decision-making.
Contact the SciTech Patent Art Services team to learn how our two-pronged Freedom-to-Operate methodology can help your organization balance confidentiality, efficiency, and comprehensive patent risk assessment.
