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 ^*

JOHNSON CHAD ALLEN

2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (MM/DD/YYYY) 3/19/2018

3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol

NEWLINK GENETICS CORP [(NLNK)]

(Last) (First) (Middle)

2503 SOUTH LOOP DRIVE, SUITE 5100

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

__ X __ Director _____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)

(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)

*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)	3/19/2019 ⁽¹⁾	3/18/2028	Common Stock	48324.0	$7.07	D

Explanation of Responses:

(1)

Grant to the Reporting Person of a nonstatutory stock option under the Issuer's 2009 Equity Incentive Plan (the "Plan"). One-third of the shares vest on March 19, 2019 and the remaining two-thirds of the shares vest in a series of 24 successive equal monthly installments thereafter, subject to the Reporting Persons's continuous service as of such dates. The option expires ten years after the date of grant, unless it expires sooner pursuant to the terms of the Plan.

Reporting Owners
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
JOHNSON CHAD ALLEN 2503 SOUTH LOOP DRIVE SUITE 5100 AMES, IA 50010	X

Signatures
/s/ Ryan Trytten, attorney-in-fact		3/21/2018
^** 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.