<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2017-10-10</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001390478</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>Galena Biopharma, Inc.</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>GALE</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001474553</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Ashton William</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O GALENA BIOPHARMA, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>2000 CROW CANYON PL., SUITE 380</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SAN RAMON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>94583</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2017-10-10</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>15472</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.38</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>38154</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Effective January 1, 2017, 33% of the cash retainer payments to our Board will be paid in unrestricted shares of the Company's common stock, delivered from the 2016 Incentive Plan and priced on the first trading day of the quarter.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Represents the closing stock price of the Company's stock on the first trading day of the quarter.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>William Ashton</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-10-10</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
