Spring Valley Laboratories, Inc. (SVL) of Maryland has served the research community since 1980 as a contract laboratory animal facility. The company specializes in the conduct of non-clinical, Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)-regulated safety studies, GLP/GMP in vivo product release tests, the derivation and maintenance of animal breeding colonies, the production of custom antibodies, and the development of animal models for human disease research. Our client list includes major universities, research institutions, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and the NIH. Spring Valley’s facility is operated with strict confidentiality policies to protect SVL and client proprietary information.

Spring Valley has 10 years of experience contracting with vaccine, pharmaceutical and medical device manufactures to conduct GLP submissions. These studies have included single and repeat dose toxicity, local, local tolerance, reproductive and developmental toxicity, biodistribution, and ocular and skin irritation evaluations. These studies have been conducted in rabbits, rats, mice ferrets, guinea pigs, and mini pigs. In addition to involving a variety of substances, including live BSL-2 organisms, these studies have required different routes of substance administration and methods of blood collection. Spring Valley has been qualified by the NIH as a vendor for the conduct of GLP-regulated safety and efficacy evaluations of candidate HIV DNA vaccines.

For 24 years, Spring Valley has supplied the research community with custom polyclonal antibody services using a variety of animal species including mouse, rat, rabbit, guinea pig, ferret, sheep and goat. Client-specific protocols have been used as well as SVL-developed standard immunization protocols. Peptide conjugation, antibody titer analysis via ELISA, and antibody purification from serum are available. Peptide sequence analysis and synthesis are also available. Further extension of custom polyclonal services includes performing immunogenicity and efficacy studies in rats, mice and rabbits for large and small pharmaceutical companies.

Spring Valley has worked with several academic and commercial organizations to develop and use animal models of inherited or infections human diseases. Spring Valley completed a 15-year NIH contract involving the maintenance and testing of an SPF (barrier reared) human transgenic (CD4+) rabbit animal model for use in HIV and HTLV-1 therapeutic testing. This colony was maintained behind a BSL2/3 barrier. SVL now maintains its own colonies of these animals for use by the research community. SVL has assisted clients in developing and/or using animal models for other infectious agents including Influenza and Vaccinia, viruses, Staphylococcus aureus and Chlamydia.