Description of Business and Development Stage Activities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Development Stage Enterprises [Abstract]

Description of Business and Development Stage Activities

Description of Business and Development Stage Activities

On June 4, 1999, NewLink Genetics Corporation (NewLink) was incorporated as a Delaware corporation. NewLink was formed for the purpose of developing treatments for cancer and other diseases. NewLink initiated operations in April of 2000, which primarily consist of research and development.

In 2005, NewLink created a wholly owned subsidiary, BioProtection Systems Corporation (BPS). NewLink contributed certain licensing agreements and other intangible assets for BPS to create vaccines against potential biological terror threats. On January 7, 2011, NewLink acquired all of the minority interest in BPS, by merging a newly-formed subsidiary of NewLink with BPS, with BPS as the surviving corporation resulting in NewLink owning all the outstanding capital stock of BPS. See note 14.

NewLink and its subsidiary (the Company) are development stage enterprises and are devoting substantially all of their efforts toward research and development. The Company has never earned revenue from sales of its drugs under development. The Company incurred a net loss of $23.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, and from June 4, 1999 (inception) through December 31, 2012 has generated a cumulative deficit of $104.8 million. The Company has managed its liquidity needs during its development stage to date through a series of capital market transactions. On November 16, 2011, the Company completed its initial public offering (IPO) of common stock pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 that was declared effective on November 10, 2011. The Company sold 6,200,000 shares of common stock at a price of $7.00 per share raising a total of $37.6 million in net proceeds after underwriting discounts and commissions of $3.0 million and offering expenses of $2.9 million. Costs directly associated with the IPO were capitalized and recorded as deferred IPO costs prior to the closing of the IPO. These costs have been recorded as a reduction of the proceeds received in arriving at the amount to be recorded in additional paid-in capital. Upon the closing of the IPO, 14,270,113 shares of the Company’s convertible preferred stock automatically converted into 10,719,353 shares of common stock, which also reflected conversion price adjustments to our preferred stock. During the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company received equity financing of $1.3 million and $42.6 million, respectively. On February 4, 2013, the Company completed a follow-on offering of its common stock. The Company sold 4,600,000 shares of common stock at a price of $11.40 per share raising a total of $49.0 million in net proceeds. See note 17.

The accompanying financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2012 have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern. As noted above, the company successfully raised net proceeds of $37.6 million from its IPO and completed a follow-on offering of its common stock raising net proceeds of $49.0 million. See note 17. Our cash and cash equivalents after the February offering are expected to be adequate to satisfy the Company's liquidity requirements through December 31, 2014, although not through commercialization and launch of revenue producing products. If available liquidity becomes insufficient to meet the Company’s operating obligations as they come due, management’s plans include pursuing alternative funding arrangements and/or reducing expenditures as necessary to meet the Company’s cash requirements. However, there is no assurance that, if required, the Company will be able to raise additional capital or reduce discretionary spending to provide the required liquidity. Failure by the Company to successfully execute its plans or otherwise address its liquidity needs may have a material adverse effect on its business and financial position, and may materially affect the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.