As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 13, 2019

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE

SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

NextCure, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

NEXTCURE, INC. 2019 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

(Full title of the plans)

Michael Richman

Chief Executive Officer

NextCure, Inc.

9000 Virginia Manor Road, Suite 200

Beltsville, Maryland 20705

(240) 399-4900

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

With Copies to:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (Check one):

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act. o

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

(1)         Consists for shares available for issuance under the NextCure, Inc. 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”). In accordance with Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement shall also cover any additional shares of the registrant’s common stock that become issuable under the ESPP by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or similar transaction effected without the registrant’s receipt of consideration which would increase the number of outstanding shares of common stock.

(2)         Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the amount of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(h) and Rule 457(c) promulgated under the Securities Act. The offering price per share and aggregate offering price are based on the average of the high and the low price of the registrant’s common stock as reported on The Nasdaq Global Select Market on May 10, 2019.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Registration Statement on Form S-8 (this “Registration Statement”) of NextCure, Inc. (the “Registrant”) is being filed to register 240,000 shares of the Registrant’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”) authorized for issuance pursuant to awards under the NextCure, Inc. 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which became effective on May 8, 2019.

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The documents containing the information specified in Part I will be delivered in accordance with Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Such documents are not required to be, and are not, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act. These documents, and the documents incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.         Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The following documents, which have been filed by the Registrant with the Commission, are incorporated in this Registration Statement by reference:

(a)                                 the Registrant’s prospectus dated May 8, 2019 filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act in connection with its Registration Statement on Form S-1 originally filed by the Registrant on April 12, 2019, as amended (File No. 333-230837), which contains audited financial statements for the Registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2018;

(b)                                 the description of the Registrant’s common stock contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-38905) filed with the Commission on May 8, 2019 under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description; and

(c)                                  the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-38905) filed with the Commission on May 13, 2019.

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and will be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents; provided, however, that documents, reports and definitive proxy or information statements, or portions thereof, which are furnished and not filed in accordance with the rules of the Commission shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement.

Any statement contained herein or in a document, all or a portion of which is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or amended, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

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Item 4.         Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5.         Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6.         Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Section 102(b)(7) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) provides that a Delaware corporation, in its certificate of incorporation, may limit the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duties as a director, except for liability for any:

·                  transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit;

·                  act or omission not in good faith or that involved intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

·                  unlawful payment of dividends or redemption of shares; or

·                  breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders.

Section 145(a) of the DGCL provides, in general, that a Delaware corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party, to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) because that person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or other enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, so long as the person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed was in or not opposed to the corporation’s best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

Section 145(b) of the DGCL provides, in general, that a Delaware corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party, to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to obtain a judgment in its favor because the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or other enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action, so long as the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed was in or not opposed to the corporation’s best interests; except that no indemnification shall be permitted without judicial approval if a court has determined that the person is to be liable to the corporation with respect to such claim. Section 145(c) of the DGCL provides that, if a present or former director or officer has been successful in defense of any action referred to in Sections 145(a) and (b) of the DGCL, the corporation must indemnify such officer or director against the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) he or she actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action.

Section 145(g) of the DGCL provides, in general, that a corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or other enterprise against any liability asserted against and incurred by such person, in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation could indemnify the person against such liability under Section 145 of the DGCL.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws provide for the indemnification of our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted under the DGCL.

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In addition to the indemnification provisions provided for in our amended and restated bylaws, we have entered into separate indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers. These indemnification agreements generally require us, among other things, to indemnify our directors, executive officers and these employees against liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers, other than liabilities arising from willful misconduct. These indemnification agreements also generally require us to advance any expenses incurred by the directors, executive officers and employees as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified.

We also maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our directors and officers against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances.

See also the undertakings set out in response to Item 9 herein.

Item 7.         Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8.         Exhibits.

The exhibits to this Registration Statement are listed on the exhibit index, which appears elsewhere in this Registration Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.         Undertakings.

(a)                                 The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1)                                 To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

(i)                                     To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii)                                  To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective Registration Statement;

(iii)                               To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement or any material change to such information in this Registration Statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-8, and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

(2)                                 That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3)                                 To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

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(b)                                 The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c)                                  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

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EXHIBIT INDEX

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Beltsville, in the State of Maryland, on May 13, 2019.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

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Exhibit 5.1

May 13, 2019

Board of Directors

NextCure, Inc.

9000 Virginia Manor Road

Suite 200

Beltsville, MD 21202

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We are acting as counsel to NextCure, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with its registration statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”) relating to the proposed offering of up to 240,000 newly issued shares of the common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”) of the Company (the “Shares”), all of which are available for issuance under the NextCure, Inc. 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”). This opinion letter is furnished to you at your request to enable you to fulfill the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K, 17 C.F.R. § 229.601(b)(5), in connection with the Registration Statement.

For purposes of this opinion letter, we have examined copies of such agreements, instruments and documents as we have deemed an appropriate basis on which to render the opinions hereinafter expressed. In our examination of the aforesaid documents, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the accuracy and completeness of all documents submitted to us, the authenticity of all original documents, and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies (including pdfs). As to all matters of fact, we have relied on the representations and statements of fact made in the documents so reviewed, and we have not independently established the facts so relied on. This opinion letter is given, and all statements herein are made, in the context of the foregoing.

This opinion letter is based as to matters of law solely on the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended. We express no opinion herein as to any other statutes, rules or regulations.

Based upon, subject to and limited by the foregoing, we are of the opinion that following (i) effectiveness of the Registration Statement, (ii) issuance of the Shares pursuant to the terms of the ESPP, and (iii) receipt by the Company of the consideration for the Shares specified in the applicable resolutions of the Board of Directors and in the ESPP, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid, and nonassessable.

Hogan Lovells US LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in the District of Columbia.  “Hogan Lovells” is an international legal practice that includes Hogan Lovells US LLP and Hogan Lovells International LLP, with offices in:  Alicante   Amsterdam   Baltimore   Beijing   Birmingham   Boston   Brussels   Colorado Springs   Denver   Dubai   Dusseldorf   Frankfurt   Hamburg   Hanoi   Ho Chi Minh City   Hong Kong   Houston   Johannesburg   London   Los Angeles   Luxembourg   Madrid   Mexico City   Miami   Milan   Minneapolis   Monterrey   Moscow   Munich   New York   Northern Virginia   Paris   Perth   Philadelphia   Rio de Janeiro   Rome   San Francisco   São Paulo   Shanghai   Silicon Valley   Singapore   Sydney   Tokyo   Warsaw   Washington DC   Associated offices: Budapest   Jakarta   Shanghai FTZ   Ulaanbaatar   Zagreb.  Business Service Centers:  Johannesburg   Louisville.  For more information see www.hoganlovells.com

This opinion letter has been prepared for use in connection with the Registration Statement. We assume no obligation to advise of any changes in the foregoing subsequent to the effective date of the Registration Statement.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are an “expert” within the meaning of the Act.

Very truly yours,

/s/ HOGAN LOVELLS US LLP

HOGAN LOVELLS US LLP

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Exhibit 23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement (Form S-8) pertaining to the 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan of NextCure, Inc. of our report dated March 5, 2019 (except for the fourth and fifth paragraphs of Note 16, as to which the date is May 3, 2019), with respect to the financial statements of NextCure, Inc. included in its Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended (Form S-1 No. 333-230837) and related Prospectus, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Exhibit 24.1

NEXTCURE, INC.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

The undersigned officers and directors of NextCure, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), hereby constitute and appoint Michael Richman and Steven P. Cobourn, and each of them, the true and lawful agents and attorneys-in-fact of the undersigned with full power and authority in said agents and attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, to sign for the undersigned, individually and in each capacity stated below, one or more Registration Statements on Form S-8 of the Company to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any amendment or amendments to each such Registration Statement, relating to securities of the Company acquired under the NextCure, Inc. 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan, the NextCure, Inc. 2019 Omnibus Incentive Plan, and the NextCure, Inc. 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, and hereby ratify and confirm all acts taken by such agents and attorneys-in-fact, or either of them, as herein authorized.