Novartis is set to make an equity investment in Surface Oncology as part of the agreement, a year after taking part in the company's $35m series A round.

Johnson & Johnson will subscribe for new shares in Alligator Bioscience as part of a licensing agreement for its immuno-oncology drug candidate.

Aelix Therapeutics will use the $12.7m of funding to advance its HIV vaccine candidate through phase 2 clinical trials.

Joshua Resnick, president and managing partner of Merck subsidiary MRL Ventures Fund for just over a year, has joined SV Life Sciences as a partner.

Columbia University spinout Quartzy raises $17m in its series B round to recruit more staff and improve its lab management platform.

Johnson & Johnson Health and Wellness Solutions has joined forces with Plug and Play Tech Center to launch an accelerator aimed at the consumer wellness sector.

The corporate venturing unit returned to back a $40m series C round for the retinal disease and cancer treatment developer, taking its overall funding to more than $70m.

The Belgium-based stem cell therapy developer, which is backed by investors including Gri-Cel and Novartis, has filed to go public in the US.