Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership (3)

FORM 3	UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0104 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5
	Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person ^*

Kennedy Eugene P.

2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (MM/DD/YYYY) 11/13/2017

3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol

NEWLINK GENETICS CORP [(NLNK)]

(Last) (First) (Middle)

C/O NEWLINK GENETICS CORPORATION, 2503 SOUTH LOOP DR., SUITE 5100

4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)

_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
___ X ___ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Chief Medical Officer /

(Street)

AMES, IA 50010

(City) (State) (Zip)

5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (MM/DD/YYYY)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

_ X _ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security (Instr. 4)	2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4)	3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Common Stock	14077 ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾	D

*Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned ( e.g.* , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)**
1. Title of Derivate Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (MM/DD/YYYY)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
1. Title of Derivate Security (Instr. 4)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security		6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	5/10/2014 ⁽⁴⁾	5/9/2023	Common Stock	50000.0	$15.33	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	1/7/2015 ⁽⁴⁾	1/6/2024	Common Stock	50000.0	$22.85	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	3/11/2015 ⁽⁴⁾	3/10/2024	Common Stock	30000.0	$30.48	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	1/20/2016 ⁽⁴⁾	1/19/2025	Common Stock	10000.0	$39.05	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	6/23/2016 ⁽⁴⁾	6/22/2025	Common Stock	10000.0	$46.73	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	2/4/2016 ⁽⁵⁾	1/3/2026	Common Stock	12641.0	$34.73	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	9/9/2016 ⁽⁶⁾	8/8/2026	Common Stock	50000.0	$10.78	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	2/3/2017 ⁽⁷⁾	1/2/2027	Common Stock	50000.0	$10.55	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	8/13/2017 ⁽⁸⁾	7/12/2027	Common Stock	1000.0	$7.73	D

Explanation of Responses:
(1)	Includes 500 restricted stock units ("RSUs") held by the Reporting Person granted under the Issuer's 2009 Equity Incentive Plan (the "Plan"). The RSUs will vest, and shares will be delivered to the Reporting Person in a series of two successive annual installments with the next installment occurring on January 20, 2018, provided in each case that the Reporting Person's continuous service to the Issuer has not been terminated as defined in or as determined under the Plan.
(2)	Includes 2,500 RSUs held by the Reporting Person granted under the Plan. The RSUs will vest, and shares will be delivered to the Reporting Person in a series of two successive annual installments with the next installment occurring on June 23, 2018, provided in each case that the Reporting Person's continuous service to the Issuer has not been terminated as defined in or as determined under the Plan.
(3)	Includes 3,314 RSUs held by the Reporting Person granted under the Plan. The RSUs will vest, and shares will be delivered to the Reporting Person in a series of three successive annual installments with the next installment occurring on January 4, 2018, provided in each case that the Reporting Person's continuous service to the Issuer has not been terminated as defined in or as determined under the Plan.
(4)	Grant to the Reporting Person of a stock option under the Plan. The option vests over a four-year period, with 25% of such option vesting on the one-year anniversary of the vesting commencement date and the remaining 75% of such option vesting in equal monthly installments over the next 36 months, provided that at the relevant vesting dates the Reporting Person's continuous service to the Issuer has not been terminated as defined in or as determined under the Plan. The option expires ten years after the date of grant.
(5)	Grant to the Reporting Person of a stock option under the Plan. The option vests and becomes exercisable in a series of 48 successive equal monthly installments beginning on February 4, 2016, provided that at the relevant vesting dates the Reporting Person's continuous service to the Issuer has not been terminated as defined in or as determined under the Plan. The option expires ten years after the date of grant.
(6)	Grant to the Reporting Person of a stock option under the Plan. The option vests and becomes exercisable in a series of 36 successive equal monthly installments beginning on September 9, 2016, provided that at the relevant vesting dates the Reporting Person's continuous service to the Issuer has not been terminated as defined in or as determined under the Plan. The option expires ten years after the date of grant.
(7)	Grant to the Reporting Person of a stock option under the Plan. The option vests and becomes exercisable in a series of 48 successive equal monthly installments beginning on February 3, 2017, provided that at the relevant vesting dates the Reporting Person's continuous service to the Issuer has not been terminated as defined in or as determined under the Plan. The option expires ten years after the date of grant.
(8)	Grant to the Reporting Person of a stock option under the Plan. The option vests and becomes exercisable in a series of 48 successive equal monthly installments beginning on August 13, 2017, provided that at the relevant vesting dates the Reporting Person's continuous service to the Issuer has not been terminated as defined in or as determined under the Plan. The option expires ten years after the date of grant.

Reporting Owners
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Kennedy Eugene P. C/O NEWLINK GENETICS CORPORATION 2503 SOUTH LOOP DR., SUITE 5100 AMES, IA 50010			Chief Medical Officer

Signatures
/s/ Ryan Trytten, attorney-in-fact		11/22/2017
^** Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note:	File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.