NewLink Genetics to Present at the Jefferies 2012 Global Healthcare Conference

AMES, Iowa, May 30, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NewLink Genetics (Nasdaq:NLNK) announced today that Dr. Charles Link, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will present at the Jefferies 2012 Global Healthcare Conference in New York on Wednesday, June 6, 2012, at 4:30 p.m. (EDT). Dr. Link's presentation will include an update from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2012 Annual Meeting taking place June 1-5, 2012 including data from the Company's HyperAcute products and IDO Pathway Inhibitor Therapies.

A live webcast of the presentation call can be accessed by visiting the investors section of the NewLink website at http://investors.linkp.com/. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the company's website.

About NewLink Genetics Corporation

NewLink Genetics Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel immunotherapeutic products to improve cancer treatment options for patients and physicians. NewLink's portfolio includes biologic and small‑molecule immunotherapy product candidates intended to treat a wide range of oncology indications. NewLink's product candidates are designed with an objective to harness multiple components of the innate immune system to combat cancer, either as a monotherapy or in combination with current treatment regimens, without incremental toxicity. NewLink's lead product candidate, HyperAcute Pancreas cancer immunotherapy (algenpantucel-L), is being studied in a Phase 3 clinical trial in surgically‑resected pancreatic cancer patients (patient information is available at http://www.pancreaticcancer-clinicaltrials.com). This clinical trial is being performed under a Special Protocol Assessment with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. NewLink and its collaborators have completed patient enrollment for a Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating its HyperAcute Lung cancer immunotherapy product candidate (turgenpumatucel-L) for non-small cell lung cancer and a Phase 2 clinical trial for its HyperAcute Melanoma cancer immunotherapy product candidate. NewLink also is developing NLG8189 (d-1-methyltryptophan, or D-1MT), a small‑molecule, orally bioavailable product candidate from NewLink's proprietary indoleamine‑(2, 3)‑dioxygenase, or IDO, pathway inhibitor technology. Through NewLink's collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, NewLink is studying NLG8189 in various chemotherapy and immunotherapy combinations in two Phase 1B/2 safety and efficacy clinical trials. For more information please visit www.linkp.com.

CONTACT: Gordon Link

         Chief Financial Officer

         515-598-2925

         glink@linkp.com