Consolidated Statement of Equity (Deficit) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Total	Preferred Stock Series A [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Notes Receivable for Common Stock [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Deficit Accumulated During the Development Stage [Member]	Total NewLink Genetics Shareholders' Equity [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]
Balance at Jun. 04, 1999	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Balance (shares) at Jun. 04, 1999			0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stock issued	27		19	21	(13)			27
Stock issued (shares)			1,904,762
Reduction of IPO offering costs	27		19	21	(13)			27
Net loss	(64)						(64)	(64)
Balance at Dec. 31, 1999	(37)	0	19	21	(13)	0	(64)	(37)	0
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 1999			1,904,762
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stock issued	47		6	145	(104)			47
Stock issued (shares)			686,762
Receipt of payment on note receivable	13				13			13
Preferred stock issued	989	989						989
Reduction of IPO offering costs	47		6	145	(104)			47
Net loss	(236)						(236)	(236)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2000	776	989	25	166	(104)	0	(300)	776	0
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2000			2,591,524
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stock issued	50		1	49				50
Stock issued (shares)			95,238
Repurchase of common stock	(15)				18	(33)		(15)
Repurchase of common stock (shares)			(131,806)
Reduction of IPO offering costs	50		1	49				50
Deemed dividend		41					(41)
Net loss	(1,448)						(1,448)	(1,448)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2001	(637)	1,030	26	215	(86)	(33)	(1,789)	(637)	0
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2001			2,554,956
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Receipt of payment on note receivable	33							33
Exercise of stock options	13		1	12				13
Exercise of stock options (shares)			23,810
Stock awards	14							14
Accretion of redemption feature of preferred stock	(6)							(6)
Issuance of stock dividend (shares)			20,998
Net loss	(2,253)						(2,253)	(2,253)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2002	(2,836)	1,030	27	235	(53)	(33)	(4,042)	(2,836)	0
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2002			2,599,764
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Receipt of payment on note receivable	7				7			7
Stock compensation	46			46				46
Stock compensation (shares)			9,524
Exercise of stock options	1,112		2	1,110				1,112
Exercise of stock options (shares)			235,537
Stock awards	15			15				15
Accretion of redemption feature of preferred stock	(5)			(5)				(5)
Issuance of stock dividend (shares)			20,998
Net loss	(2,979)						(2,979)	(2,979)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2003	(4,640)	1,030	29	1,401	(46)	(33)	(7,021)	(4,640)	0
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2003			2,865,823
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Receipt of payment on note receivable	5				5			5
Stock awards	57			57				57
Accretion of redemption feature of preferred stock	(5)			(5)				(5)
Net loss	(3,669)						(3,669)	(3,669)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2004	(8,252)	1,030	29	1,453	(41)	(33)	(10,690)	(8,252)	0
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2004			2,865,823
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Receipt of payment on note receivable	1				1			1
Stock compensation	51			51				51
Stock compensation (shares)			8,946
Stock awards	2			2				2
Accretion of redemption feature of preferred stock	(82)			(82)				(82)
Issuance of common stock for acquisition	354		1	353				354
Issuance of common stock for acquisition (shares)			61,953
Issuance of stock dividend (shares)			41,995
Noncontrolling interest	2,278								2,278
Net loss	(4,770)						(4,770)	(4,770)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2005	(10,418)	1,030	30	1,777	(40)	(33)	(15,460)	(12,696)	2,278
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2005			2,978,717
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuance of preferred stock	257								257
Stock compensation	22			22				22
Accretion of redemption feature of preferred stock	(4)			(4)				(4)
Issuance of common stock for acquisition	130		1	129				130
Issuance of common stock for acquisition (shares)			61,953
Issuance of stock dividend (shares)			20,996
Net loss	(5,318)						(5,318)	(5,318)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2006	(15,331)	1,030	31	1,924	(40)	(33)	(20,778)	(17,866)	2,535
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2006			3,061,666
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Receipt of payment on note receivable	2				2			2
Stock compensation	58			58				58
Exercise of stock options	12			12				12
Exercise of stock options (shares)			15,476
Stock issued for licensing (shares)			11,905
Issuance of stock dividend (shares)			20,996
Retire treasury stock				(33)		33
Noncontrolling interest	8								8
Net loss	(7,582)						(7,582)	(7,582)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2007	(22,833)	1,030	31	1,961	(38)	0	(28,360)	(25,376)	2,543
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2007			3,110,043
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stock compensation	86			86				86
Exercise of stock options	19			19				19
Exercise of stock options (shares)			15,298
Stock issued for licensing	5			5				5
Stock issued for licensing (shares)			2,381
Issuance of stock dividend (shares)			21,000
Noncontrolling interest	(1)								(1)
Net loss	(8,842)						(8,842)	(8,842)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2008	(31,566)	1,030	31	2,071	(38)	0	(37,202)	(34,108)	2,542
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2008			3,148,722
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stock issued	3								3
Stock compensation	929			929				929
Exercise of stock options	15			15				15
Exercise of stock options (shares)			7,138
Issuance of stock dividend			1	(1)
Issuance of stock dividend (shares)			20,998
Preferred stock issued	40								40
Reduction of IPO offering costs	3								3
Net loss	(10,207)						(9,974)	(9,974)	(233)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2009	(40,786)	1,030	32	3,014	(38)	0	(47,176)	(43,138)	2,352
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2009			3,176,858
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stock issued	2								2
Receipt of payment on note receivable	146				25			25	121
Repurchase of common stock	(469)		(1)	(374)				(375)	(94)
Repurchase of common stock (shares)			(102,110)
Stock compensation	1,525			1,525				1,525
Exercise of stock options	82		1	81				82
Exercise of stock options (shares)			141,573
Accretion of redemption feature of preferred stock	(2)			(2)				(2)
Conversion of preferred stock to common stock	114			114				114
Conversion of preferred stock to common stock (shares)			14,915
Exercise of warrants	2,000		2	1,998				2,000
Exercise of warrants (shares)			178,571
Issuance of common stock for acquisition	819		2	817				819
Issuance of common stock for acquisition (shares)			173,469
Stock issued for licensing	201			201				201
Stock issued for licensing (shares)			23,810
Issuance of stock dividend (shares)			20,996
Preferred stock issued	911								911
Reduction of IPO offering costs	2								2
Net loss	(16,562)						(16,213)	(16,213)	(349)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2010	(52,019)	1,030	36	7,374	(13)	0	(63,389)	(54,962)	2,943
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2010			3,628,082
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stock issued	37,555		62	37,493				37,555
Stock issued (shares)			6,200,000
Receipt of payment on note receivable	13				13			13
Stock compensation	2,545			2,545				2,545
Stock compensation (shares)			11,905
Exercise of stock options	19			19				19
Exercise of stock options (shares)			9,320
Accretion of redemption feature of preferred stock	(8)			(8)				(8)
Conversion of preferred stock to common stock	75,390	(1,030)	107	76,313				75,390
Conversion of preferred stock to common stock (shares)			10,719,353
Issuance of stock dividend			1	(1)
Issuance of stock dividend (shares)			22,580
Noncontrolling interest	(8,634)			(5,692)				(5,692)	(2,942)
Reduction of IPO offering costs	37,555		62	37,493				37,555
Net loss	(18,088)						(18,087)	(18,087)	(1)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2011	36,773	0	206	118,043	0	0	(81,476)	36,773	0
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2011	20,591,240		20,591,240
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stock issued	158			158				158
Repurchase of common stock	(4)			(4)				(4)
Stock compensation	3,195			3,195				3,195
Stock compensation (shares)			13,000
Exercise of stock options	887		4	883				887
Exercise of stock options (shares)	341,429		341,429
Accretion of redemption feature of preferred stock	0
Sale of shares under stock purchase plan	239			239				239
Sale of shares under stock purchase plan (shares)			39,523
Reduction of IPO offering costs	158			158				158
Net loss	(23,321)						(23,321)	(23,321)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	$ 17,927	$ 0	$ 210	$ 122,514	$ 0	$ 0	$ (104,797)	$ 17,927	$ 0
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2012	20,985,192		20,985,192