As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 4, 2021

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 plan)

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

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Registration Statement on Form S-8 (this “Registration Statement”) is being filed by NextCure, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Registrant”), relating to 550,680 shares of its Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), issuable to eligible employees under the NextCure, Inc. 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The Registrant filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on May 13, 2019 a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (Registration No. 333-231438) (the “Prior Registration Statement”). This Registration Statement relates to securities of the same class as those to which the Prior Registration Statement relates and is submitted in accordance with General Instruction E of Form S-8 regarding the Registration of Additional Securities. Pursuant to General Instruction E of Form S-8, the contents of the Prior Registration Statement are incorporated herein by reference and made part of this Registration Statement, except as amended hereby.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference in this Registration Statement the following documents and information previously filed with the Commission:

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.

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 November 4, 2021.

POWER OF ATTORNEY AND SIGNATURES

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. 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.