As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2025

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

LAVA Therapeutics N.V.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Long-Term Incentive Plan

2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

(Full titles of the plans)

Stephen Hurly

President and Chief Executive Officer

LAVA Therapeutics N.V.

Yalelaan 62

3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands

+31 85 016 3100

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

Copies to:

Divakar Gupta

Katie Kazem

Cooley LLP

55 Hudson Yards

New York, New York 10001-2157

(212) 479-6000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting 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.

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 the Securities Act. ¨

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Pursuant to General Instruction E of Form S-8, this Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) is being filed for the purpose of registering an additional 5,232,950 common shares, €0.12 nominal value per share (the “Common Shares”), of LAVA Therapeutics N.V. (the “Registrant”), consisting of:

In accordance with the instructional note to Part I of Form S-8 as promulgated by the Commission, the information specified by Part I of the Form S-8 has been omitted from this Registration Statement.

PART II

ITEM 3. INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Commission are incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement:

(a)       The contents of the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-8, filed with the Commission on May 28, 2021 (File No. 333-256655);

(b)       The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the Commission on March 28, 2025 (File No. 001-40241);

(c)       The Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on February 25, 2025 and February 28, 2025 (File No. 001-40241); and

(d)       The description of the Registrant’s Common Shares which is contained in Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the Commission on March 28, 2025 (File No. 001-40241), including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

All other reports and documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act (other than Current Reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits furnished on such form that relate to such items) on or after the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part of this Registration Statement from the date of the filing of such reports and documents. Any statement contained in a document 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 subsequently filed document that also 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 superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

ITEM 8. EXHIBITS

*     Filed herewith

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 Utrecht, the Netherlands, on March 28, 2025.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Stephen Hurly, Fred Powell and Amy Garabedian, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with the full power of substitution, for him or her and in their name, place or stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Registration Statement (including post-effective amendments), and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or his, her or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

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 dates indicated.