Aerie Pharmaceuticals (AERI) 10-Q 13 May 14 2014 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	6-May-14
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-14	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q1	'
Trading Symbol	'AERI	'
Entity Registrant Name	'AERIE PHARMACEUTICALS INC	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0001337553	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'
Entity Filer Category	'Non-accelerated Filer	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	23,437,055

Balance_Sheets

Balance Sheets (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$35,843	$69,649
Short-term investments	29,268	'
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	672	618
Total current assets	65,783	70,267
Furniture, fixtures and equipment, net	146	132
Other assets, net	32	59
Total assets	65,961	70,458
Current liabilities	'	'
Accounts payable and other current liabilities	3,690	3,482
Total current liabilities	3,690	3,482
Total liabilities	3,690	3,482
Commitments and contingencies (Note 9)	'	'
Stockholders' equity	'	'
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 15,000,000 shares authorized as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013; None issued and outstanding	'	'
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 150,000,000 shares authorized as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013; 23,328,576 and 23,285,549 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively	23	23
Additional paid-in capital	164,008	162,021
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	-21	'
Deficit accumulated during the development stage	-101,739	-95,068
Total stockholders' equity	62,271	66,976
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$65,961	$70,458

Balance_Sheets_Parenthetical

Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Statement Of Financial Position [Abstract]	'	'
Preferred stock, par value	$0.00	$0.00
Preferred stock, shares authorized	15,000,000	15,000,000
Preferred stock, issued	'	'
Preferred stock, outstanding	'	'
Common stock, par value	$0.00	$0.00
Common stock, shares authorized	150,000,000	150,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	23,328,576	23,285,549
Common stock, shares outstanding	23,328,576	23,285,549

Statements_of_Operations_and_C

Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss (USD $)	3 Months Ended		105 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014
Operating expenses	'	'	'
General and administrative	($3,612)	($1,466)	($33,796)
Research and development	-5,370	-3,155	-60,402
Loss from operations	-8,982	-4,621	-94,198
Other income (expense), net	2,311	831	-7,409
Net loss	-6,671	-3,790	-101,607
Net loss attributable to common stockholders-basic and diluted	-6,671	-3,927	'
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders-basic and diluted	($0.28)	($4.07)	'
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding-basic and diluted	23,717,393	965,186	'
Net loss	-6,671	-3,790	-101,607
Unrealized loss on short-term investments	-21	'	-21
Comprehensive loss	($6,692)	($3,790)	($101,628)

Statements_of_Cash_Flows

Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	3 Months Ended		105 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities	'	'	'
Net loss	($6,671)	($3,790)	($101,607)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities	'	'	'
Depreciation	15	15	965
Amortization and accretion costs related to notes payable-related parties	'	232	4,604
Loss (gain) on conversion of notes payable	'	'	1,916
Stock-based compensation	1,922	164	5,810
Interest payable-related parties	'	61	1,725
Change in fair value measurements	'	144	3,718
Amortization of discount on short-term investments	56	'	56
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	'	'	'
Prepaid, current and other assets	-27	-57	-704
Accounts payable and other current liabilities	208	852	3,709
Net cash used in operating activities	-4,497	-2,379	-79,808
Cash flows from investing activities	'	'	'
Purchase of short-term investments	-29,345	'	-29,345
Purchase of furniture, fixtures and equipment	-29	-6	-1,111
Net cash used in investing activities	-29,374	-6	-30,456
Cash flows from financing activities	'	'	'
Proceeds from issuance of common stock in initial public offering, net of underwriting discounts	'	'	71,870
Proceeds from sale of preferred stock	'	'	45,000
Payments of stock issuance costs	'	'	-1,216
Proceeds from notes payable to related parties	'	3,000	34,778
Dividends paid	'	'	-130
Payments of debt issuance costs	'	'	-115
Proceeds from sale of common stock	'	'	3
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	'	'	16
Proceeds from exercise of warrants	'	'	8
Proceeds from exercise of stock purchase rights	65	'	65
Payments of long-term debt	'	'	-528
Payments of initial public offering costs	'	'	-3,644
Net cash provided by financing activities	65	3,000	146,107
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	-33,806	615	35,843
Beginning of period	69,649	2,925	'
End of period	35,843	3,540	35,843
Noncash financing activities	'	'	'
Conversion of preferred stock to common stock	'	'	61,348
Conversion of convertible notes payable and accrued interest to common stock	'	'	18,604
Issuance of common stock upon net exercise of warrants	'	'	4,888
Reclassification of warrants from liabilities to equity	'	'	6,560
Conversion of long-term debt into preferred stock	'	'	17,364
Debt discount attributable to warrants	'	752	7,725
Accretion from conversion of note payable to related parties	'	73	775
Accretion of stock issuance costs	'	$64	$739

The_Company

The Company	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
The Company	'
	1. The Company
	Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) is a development stage pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of topical, small molecule drugs to treat patients with glaucoma and other diseases of the eye. Incorporated in the State of Delaware on June 22, 2005, the Company maintains its corporate headquarters in Bedminster, New Jersey, conducts research in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and also has an office in Newport Beach, California.
	To date, the Company is in the development stage since it has not yet commenced primary operations or generated product revenue. The Company’s activities since inception primarily consisted of developing product candidates, raising capital and performing research and development activities. The Company has no current source of revenue to sustain its present activities, and it does not expect to generate revenue until and unless it receives regulatory approval of and successfully commercializes its product candidates. The Company has incurred losses and experienced negative operating cash flows since inception, and has cumulative net cash flows used in operating activities of $79.8 million and cumulative net losses of $101.6 million for the period from inception (June 22, 2005) to March 31, 2014.
	The Company has funded its operations primarily through the sale of equity securities and issuance of convertible notes. In October 2013, the Company completed its initial public offering (“IPO”) and issued 7,728,000 shares of its common stock at an IPO price of $10.00 per share, including 1,008,000 shares of common stock issued upon the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares to cover over-allotments. The Company received net proceeds from the IPO of approximately $68.3 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $5.4 million and expenses of $3.6 million. The Company estimates that it has sufficient funding to sustain operations through approximately mid-2016.
	Accordingly, the Company will be required to obtain further funding through other public or private offerings, debt financing, collaboration and licensing arrangements or other sources. Adequate additional funding may not be available to the Company on acceptable terms, or at all. If the Company is unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, it would be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate its research and development programs or commercialization efforts.

Significant_Accounting_Policie

Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Significant Accounting Policies	'
	2. Significant Accounting Policies
	Basis of Presentation
	The Company’s interim financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). In the opinion of management, the Company has made all necessary adjustments, which include normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the Company’s financial position and results of operations for the interim periods presented. Certain information and disclosures normally included in the annual financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted. These interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and accompanying notes for the year ended December 31, 2013 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. The results for the three months ended March 31, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for a full year, any other interim periods or any future year or period.
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of income and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include the valuation of stock options and operating expense accruals. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
	Investments
	The Company determines the appropriate classification of its investments in debt and equity securities at the time of purchase. The Company’s investments are comprised of money market funds, certificates of deposit, commercial paper, corporate notes and U.S. government agency securities that are classified as available-for-sale in accordance with ASC 320, Investments—Debt and Equity Securities. The Company classifies investments available to fund current operations as current assets on its balance sheet. Investments are classified as long-term assets on the balance sheet if (i) the Company has the intent and ability to hold the investments for a period of at least one year and (ii) the contractual maturity date of the investments is greater than one year. All of the Company’s investments are classified as current. Available-for-sale investments are recorded at fair value, with unrealized gains or losses included in Accumulated other comprehensive gain (loss) on the Company’s balance sheets. Realized gains and losses are determined using the specific identification method and are included as a component of Other income (expense), net (Note 3). There were no realized gains or losses recognized for the three months ended March 31, 2014 or 2013 or for the period from inception (June 22, 2005) to March 31, 2014.
	The Company reviews investments for other-than-temporary impairment whenever the fair value of an investment is less than the amortized cost and evidence indicates that an investment’s carrying amount is not recoverable within a reasonable period of time. To determine whether an impairment is other-than-temporary, the Company considers its intent to sell, or whether it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the investment before recovery of the investment’s amortized cost basis. Evidence considered in this assessment includes reasons for the impairment, the severity and the duration of the impairment and changes in value subsequent to period end. As of March 31, 2014, there were no investments with a fair value that was significantly lower than the amortized cost basis or any investments that had been in an unrealized loss position for a significant period.
	Fair Value Measurements
	The Company measures certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value based on the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. The Company’s material financial instruments consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, other current assets, accounts payable and accrued expenses, all of which approximate their respective carrying values due to the short-term nature of these instruments.
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In July 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued ASU 2013-11 which is an amendment to the accounting guidance on income taxes. This guidance provides clarification on the financial statement presentation of an unrecognized benefit when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists. The amendment is effective for the Company for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2013. The adoption of the provisions of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.
	In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-02 Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, which requires that public and non-public companies present information about reclassification adjustments for accumulated other comprehensive income in their annual financial statements in a note or on the face of the financial statements. Public companies are also required to provide this information in interim financial statements. The new disclosure requirements are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2012. The adoption of the provisions of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows and financial position as the Company’s net income is equal to its comprehensive income.
	Net Loss per Share Attributable to Common Stock
	Basic net loss per share attributable to common stock (“Basic EPS”) is calculated by dividing the net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period, without consideration for potentially dilutive securities with the exception of warrants for common stock with a $0.05 exercise price, which are exercisable for nominal consideration, and are therefore included in the calculation of the weighted-average number of shares of common stock as common stock equivalents. Net loss attributable to common stockholders is calculated by adjusting the Company’s net loss for accretion on convertible preferred stock, if any. Diluted net loss per share attributable to common stock (“Diluted EPS”) gives effect to all dilutive potential shares of common stock outstanding during this period. For Diluted EPS, net loss attributable to common stockholders used in calculating Basic EPS is adjusted for certain items related to the dilutive securities.
	For all periods presented, the Company’s potential common stock equivalents have been excluded from the computation of Diluted EPS as their inclusion would have the effect of reducing the net loss per share of common stock. Therefore, the denominator used to calculate Basic EPS and Diluted EPS is the same in all periods presented.
	The Company’s potential common stock equivalents that have been excluded from the computation of Diluted EPS for all periods presented consist of the following:
			MARCH 31,
			2014		2013
	Convertible preferred stock(1)			—		12,120,531
	Outstanding stock options			4,177,660		1,513,199
	Notes and interest payable to related parties(1)		$	—	$	6,077,000
	Stock purchase warrants			309,506		732,232
	Restricted common stock awards			210,317		368,281
	(1)	In connection with the completion of the Company’s IPO, the outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock and outstanding convertible notes and accrued interest thereon were converted into 12,120,531 and 1,860,363 shares of common stock, respectively.

Other_Income_Expense_Net

Other Income (Expense), Net	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Other Income And Expenses [Abstract]	'
Other Income (Expense), Net	'
	3. Other Income (Expense), Net
	Other income (expense), net consists of the following:
		THREE MONTHS					PERIOD FROM
		ENDED					INCEPTION
		MARCH 31,					(JUNE 22,
							2005) TO
							MARCH 31,
	(in thousands)	2014		2013			2014
	Interest expense	$	—	$	(293	)	$	(6,329	)
	(Loss)/gain on conversion of notes payable to related parties		—		—			(1,916	)
	Sale of New Jersey state tax benefit		2,288		1,268			3,556
	(Expense)/income due to change in fair value measurements		—		(144	)		(3,718	)
	Investment and other income, net		23		—			998
		$	2,311	$	831		$	(7,409	)

Investments

Investments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Investments Debt And Equity Securities [Abstract]	'
Investments	'
	4. Investments
	Cash, cash equivalents and investments as of March 31, 2014 included the following:
				GROSS		GROSS
		AMORTIZED		UNREALIZED		UNREALIZED			FAIR
	(in thousands)	COST		GAINS		LOSSES			VALUE
	Cash and cash equivalents:
	Cash and money market accounts	$	30,451	$	—	$	—		$	30,451
	Certificates of deposit		1,680		—		—			1,680
	Commercial paper		1,000		—		—			1,000
	Corporate bonds		2,712		—		—			2,712
	Total cash and cash equivalents	$	35,843	$	—	$	—		$	35,843
	Investments:
	Certificates of deposit (due within 1 year)	$	9,912	$	—	$	(13	)	$	9,899
	Commercial paper (due within 1 year)		2,996		1		—			2,997
	Corporate bonds (due within 1 year)		13,876		—		(9	)		13,867
	Government agencies (due within 1 year)		2,505		—		—			2,505
	Total investments	$	29,289	$	1	$	(22	)	$	29,268
	Total cash, cash equivalents, and investments	$	65,132	$	1	$	(22	)	$	65,111
	The Company did not hold any investments at December 31, 2013.

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Fair Value Measurements	'
	5. Fair Value Measurements
	The Company records certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value in accordance with the provisions of ASC Topic 820 on fair value measurements. As defined in the guidance, fair value, defined as an exit price, represents the amount that would be received to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As a result, fair value is a market-based approach that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or a liability. As a basis for considering these assumptions, the guidance defines a three-tier value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used in the valuation methodologies in measuring fair value.
		•		Level 1—Unadjusted quoted prices in active, accessible markets for identical assets or liabilities.
		•		Level 2—Other inputs that are directly or indirectly observable in the marketplace.
		•		Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity.
	The fair value hierarchy also requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value.
	The following tables summarize the fair value of financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value and the classification by level of input within the fair value hierarchy:
			FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS AS OF
			31-Mar-14
	(in thousands)		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	Cash and cash equivalents:
	Cash and money market accounts		$	30,451	$	—	$	—	$	30,451
	Certificates of deposit			—		1,680		—		1,680
	Commercial paper			—		1,000		—		1,000
	Corporate bonds			—		2,712		—		2,712
	Total cash and cash equivalents		$	30,451	$	5,392	$	—	$	35,843
	Investments:
	Certificates of deposit		$	—	$	9,899	$	—	$	9,899
	Commercial paper			—	$	2,997		—		2,997
	Corporate bonds			—	$	13,867		—		13,867
	Government agencies			—	$	2,505		—		2,505
	Total investments		$	—	$	29,268	$	—	$	29,268
	Total cash, cash equivalents, and investments		$	30,451	$	34,660	$	—	$	65,111
			FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS AS OF
			31-Dec-13
	(in thousands)		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	Cash and cash equivalents:
	Cash and money market accounts		$	69,649	$	—	$	—	$	69,649
	Total cash and cash equivalents		$	69,649	$	—	$	—	$	69,649

Accounts_Payable_Other_Current

Accounts Payable & Other Current Liabilities	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Payables And Accruals [Abstract]	'
Accounts Payable & Other Current Liabilities	'
	6. Accounts Payable & Other Current Liabilities
	Accounts payable and other current liabilities consist of the following:
	(in thousands)		MARCH 31,		DECEMBER 31,
			2014		2013
	Accounts payable		$	1,246	$	1,442
	Accrued expenses and other liabilities:
	Employee benefits and compensation related accruals(1)			556		966
	General and administrative related accruals			491		411
	Research and development related accruals			1,397		663
			$	3,690	$	3,482
	(1)	Comprised of accrued bonus, accrued vacation, accrued severance liabilities, and liabilities under the Company’s employee stock purchase plan.

Stock_Purchase_Warrants

Stock Purchase Warrants	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Text Block [Abstract]	'
Stock Purchase Warrants	'
	7. Stock Purchase Warrants
	As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the following equity classified warrants were outstanding:
	NUMBER OF	EXERCISE		WARRANT	TYPE OF EQUITY
	UNDERLYING	PRICE PER		EXPIRATION	SECURITY
	SHARES	SHARE		DATE
	2,006	$	5	Mar-16	Common Stock
	75,000	$	5	Feb-19	Common Stock
	75,000	$	5	November 2019	Common Stock
	157,500	$	5	Aug-20	Common Stock
	408,295	$	0.05	December 2019	Common Stock
	The warrants outstanding as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 are all currently exercisable with weighted-average remaining lives of 5.74 and 5.99 years, respectively.

Stockbased_Compensation

Stock-based Compensation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]	'
Stock-based Compensation	'
	8. Stock-based Compensation
	The Company maintains two equity compensation plans, the 2005 Aerie Pharmaceutical Stock Plan (the “2005 Plan”) and the 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2013 Equity Plan”) and, together with the 2005 Plan, (the “Plans”). On July 13, 2005, the Company’s board of directors adopted and approved the 2005 Plan, which, as amended in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013, provides for the granting of up to 3,586,277 stock-based awards to employees, directors and consultants of the Company. Stock-based awards vest over variable periods, generally ranging from one to five years, and expire not more than ten years after the date of grant. On October 30, 2013, the effective date of the 2013 Equity Plan, the 2005 Plan was frozen and no additional awards will be made under the 2005 Plan. Any shares remaining available for future grant under the 2005 Plan were allocated to the 2013 Equity Plan. The 2013 Equity Plan provides for the granting of up to 3,229,068 equity awards for common stock of the Company. The Company granted stock options to employees to purchase 995,600 and 304,800 shares of common stock during the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
	The following table summarizes the stock option activity under the Plans:
		NUMBER OF			WEIGHTED AVERAGE		AGGREGATE
		SHARES			EXERCISE PRICE		INTRINSIC
							VALUE
							(000’s)
	Options outstanding at December 31, 2013		3,189,660		$	2.1634	$	50,386
	Granted		995,600			20.3551
	Exercised		—			—
	Cancelled		(7,600	)		7.1837
	Options outstanding at March 31, 2014		4,177,660		$	6.4896	$	61,413
	Options exercisable at March 31, 2014		1,194,950		$	0.8141	$	24,348
	The estimated fair value of options granted is determined on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Options granted to non-employees are re-measured at each financial reporting period until required service is performed.
	Stock-based compensation expense for options granted, restricted stock and stock purchase rights are reflected in the statement of operations as follows:
		THREE MONTHS					PERIOD FROM
		ENDED					INCEPTION
		MARCH 31,					(JUNE 22,
							2005) TO
							MARCH 31,
		2014			2013		2014
	Research and development	$	615		$	22	$	1,015
	General and administrative		1,307			142		4,795
	Total	$	1,922		$	164	$	5,810
	As of March 31, 2014, the Company had $26.5 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to options granted under the Plans. This cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 3.3 years as of March 31, 2014. The weighted average remaining contractual life on all outstanding options as of March 31, 2014 was 8.8 years.
	Restricted Common Stock
	On March 21, 2013, concurrent with the cancellation of 345,000 stock options, the Company issued 371,034 shares of restricted stock to an employee. The vesting of these awards is time-based with terms of two to four years. These restricted stock awards are subject to repurchase, such that the Company has the right, but not the obligation, to repurchase unvested shares upon the employee’s termination. As of March 31, 2014, 210,317 shares of restricted stock awards were unvested and subject to repurchase.
	Compensation expense related to these restricted stock awards is based on the market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant and is expensed on a straight-line basis (net of estimated forfeitures) over the vesting period. The weighted average remaining contractual term for restricted stock awards as of March 31, 2014 was 1.8 years. Compensation expense related to restricted stock awards for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 was $98,000 and $38,000, respectively and was included in general and administrative expense. As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the Company had $534,000 and $632,000, respectively, of unrecognized compensation expense, related to unvested restricted stock awards. This cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.8 years as of March 31, 2014.

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Commitments and Contingencies	'
	9. Commitments and Contingencies
	Litigation
	The Company is not party to any known litigation, is not aware of any unasserted claims and does not have contingency reserves established for any litigation liabilities.
	Contract Service Providers
	In the course of the Company’s normal business operations, it has agreements with contract service providers to assist in the performance of its research and development, clinical research and manufacturing. Substantially all of these contracts are on an as-needed basis.

RelatedParty_Transactions

Related-Party Transactions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]	'
Related-Party Transactions	'
	10. Related-Party Transactions
	Prior to their conversion into common stock in connection with the IPO in October 2013, the Company’s convertible notes were due to holders of the Company’s convertible preferred stock. Interest expense on those obligations for the three months ended March 31, 2013 was $61,000.
	On September 6, 2013, the Company terminated its agreement to exclusively license its intellectual property for non-ophthalmic indications to Novaer Holding, Inc. Since September 6, 2013, the Company owns all of the worldwide rights to its current product candidates for all indications, both ophthalmic and non-ophthalmic.

Significant_Accounting_Policie1

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Basis of Presentation	'
	Basis of Presentation
	The Company’s interim financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). In the opinion of management, the Company has made all necessary adjustments, which include normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the Company’s financial position and results of operations for the interim periods presented. Certain information and disclosures normally included in the annual financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted. These interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and accompanying notes for the year ended December 31, 2013 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. The results for the three months ended March 31, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for a full year, any other interim periods or any future year or period.
Use of Estimates	'
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of income and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include the valuation of stock options and operating expense accruals. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
Investments	'
	Investments
	The Company determines the appropriate classification of its investments in debt and equity securities at the time of purchase. The Company’s investments are comprised of money market funds, certificates of deposit, commercial paper, corporate notes and U.S. government agency securities that are classified as available-for-sale in accordance with ASC 320, Investments—Debt and Equity Securities. The Company classifies investments available to fund current operations as current assets on its balance sheet. Investments are classified as long-term assets on the balance sheet if (i) the Company has the intent and ability to hold the investments for a period of at least one year and (ii) the contractual maturity date of the investments is greater than one year. All of the Company’s investments are classified as current. Available-for-sale investments are recorded at fair value, with unrealized gains or losses included in Accumulated other comprehensive gain (loss) on the Company’s balance sheets. Realized gains and losses are determined using the specific identification method and are included as a component of Other income (expense), net (Note 3). There were no realized gains or losses recognized for the three months ended March 31, 2014 or 2013 or for the period from inception (June 22, 2005) to March 31, 2014.
	The Company reviews investments for other-than-temporary impairment whenever the fair value of an investment is less than the amortized cost and evidence indicates that an investment’s carrying amount is not recoverable within a reasonable period of time. To determine whether an impairment is other-than-temporary, the Company considers its intent to sell, or whether it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the investment before recovery of the investment’s amortized cost basis. Evidence considered in this assessment includes reasons for the impairment, the severity and the duration of the impairment and changes in value subsequent to period end. As of March 31, 2014, there were no investments with a fair value that was significantly lower than the amortized cost basis or any investments that had been in an unrealized loss position for a significant period.
Fair Value Measurements	'
	Fair Value Measurements
	The Company measures certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value based on the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. The Company’s material financial instruments consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, other current assets, accounts payable and accrued expenses, all of which approximate their respective carrying values due to the short-term nature of these instruments.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	'
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In July 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued ASU 2013-11 which is an amendment to the accounting guidance on income taxes. This guidance provides clarification on the financial statement presentation of an unrecognized benefit when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists. The amendment is effective for the Company for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2013. The adoption of the provisions of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.
	In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-02 Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, which requires that public and non-public companies present information about reclassification adjustments for accumulated other comprehensive income in their annual financial statements in a note or on the face of the financial statements. Public companies are also required to provide this information in interim financial statements. The new disclosure requirements are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2012. The adoption of the provisions of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows and financial position as the Company’s net income is equal to its comprehensive income.
Net Loss per Share Attributable to Common Stock	'
	Net Loss per Share Attributable to Common Stock
	Basic net loss per share attributable to common stock (“Basic EPS”) is calculated by dividing the net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period, without consideration for potentially dilutive securities with the exception of warrants for common stock with a $0.05 exercise price, which are exercisable for nominal consideration, and are therefore included in the calculation of the weighted-average number of shares of common stock as common stock equivalents. Net loss attributable to common stockholders is calculated by adjusting the Company’s net loss for accretion on convertible preferred stock, if any. Diluted net loss per share attributable to common stock (“Diluted EPS”) gives effect to all dilutive potential shares of common stock outstanding during this period. For Diluted EPS, net loss attributable to common stockholders used in calculating Basic EPS is adjusted for certain items related to the dilutive securities.
	For all periods presented, the Company’s potential common stock equivalents have been excluded from the computation of Diluted EPS as their inclusion would have the effect of reducing the net loss per share of common stock. Therefore, the denominator used to calculate Basic EPS and Diluted EPS is the same in all periods presented.
	The Company’s potential common stock equivalents that have been excluded from the computation of Diluted EPS for all periods presented consist of the following:
			MARCH 31,
			2014		2013
	Convertible preferred stock(1)			—		12,120,531
	Outstanding stock options			4,177,660		1,513,199
	Notes and interest payable to related parties(1)		$	—	$	6,077,000
	Stock purchase warrants			309,506		732,232
	Restricted common stock awards			210,317		368,281
	(1)	In connection with the completion of the Company’s IPO, the outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock and outstanding convertible notes and accrued interest thereon were converted into 12,120,531 and 1,860,363 shares of common stock, respectively.

Significant_Accounting_Policie2

Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Computation of Diluted EPS	'
	The Company’s potential common stock equivalents that have been excluded from the computation of Diluted EPS for all periods presented consist of the following:
			MARCH 31,
			2014		2013
	Convertible preferred stock(1)			—		12,120,531
	Outstanding stock options			4,177,660		1,513,199
	Notes and interest payable to related parties(1)		$	—	$	6,077,000
	Stock purchase warrants			309,506		732,232
	Restricted common stock awards			210,317		368,281
	(1)	In connection with the completion of the Company’s IPO, the outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock and outstanding convertible notes and accrued interest thereon were converted into 12,120,531 and 1,860,363 shares of common stock, respectively.

Other_Income_Expense_Net_Table

Other Income (Expense), Net (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Other Income And Expenses [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Other Income (Expense), Net	'
	Other income (expense), net consists of the following:
		THREE MONTHS					PERIOD FROM
		ENDED					INCEPTION
		MARCH 31,					(JUNE 22,
							2005) TO
							MARCH 31,
	(in thousands)	2014		2013			2014
	Interest expense	$	—	$	(293	)	$	(6,329	)
	(Loss)/gain on conversion of notes payable to related parties		—		—			(1,916	)
	Sale of New Jersey state tax benefit		2,288		1,268			3,556
	(Expense)/income due to change in fair value measurements		—		(144	)		(3,718	)
	Investment and other income, net		23		—			998
		$	2,311	$	831		$	(7,409	)

Investments_Tables

Investments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Investments Debt And Equity Securities [Abstract]	'
Summary of Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments	'
	Cash, cash equivalents and investments as of March 31, 2014 included the following:
				GROSS		GROSS
		AMORTIZED		UNREALIZED		UNREALIZED			FAIR
	(in thousands)	COST		GAINS		LOSSES			VALUE
	Cash and cash equivalents:
	Cash and money market accounts	$	30,451	$	—	$	—		$	30,451
	Certificates of deposit		1,680		—		—			1,680
	Commercial paper		1,000		—		—			1,000
	Corporate bonds		2,712		—		—			2,712
	Total cash and cash equivalents	$	35,843	$	—	$	—		$	35,843
	Investments:
	Certificates of deposit (due within 1 year)	$	9,912	$	—	$	(13	)	$	9,899
	Commercial paper (due within 1 year)		2,996		1		—			2,997
	Corporate bonds (due within 1 year)		13,876		—		(9	)		13,867
	Government agencies (due within 1 year)		2,505		—		—			2,505
	Total investments	$	29,289	$	1	$	(22	)	$	29,268
	Total cash, cash equivalents, and investments	$	65,132	$	1	$	(22	)	$	65,111

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Summary of Fair Value of Financial Assets and Liabilities that are Measured at Fair Value and the Classification by Level of Input within Fair Value Hierarchy	'
	The following tables summarize the fair value of financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value and the classification by level of input within the fair value hierarchy:
		FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS AS OF
		31-Mar-14
	(in thousands)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	Cash and cash equivalents:
	Cash and money market accounts	$	30,451	$	—	$	—	$	30,451
	Certificates of deposit		—		1,680		—		1,680
	Commercial paper		—		1,000		—		1,000
	Corporate bonds		—		2,712		—		2,712
	Total cash and cash equivalents	$	30,451	$	5,392	$	—	$	35,843
	Investments:
	Certificates of deposit	$	—	$	9,899	$	—	$	9,899
	Commercial paper		—	$	2,997		—		2,997
	Corporate bonds		—	$	13,867		—		13,867
	Government agencies		—	$	2,505		—		2,505
	Total investments	$	—	$	29,268	$	—	$	29,268
	Total cash, cash equivalents, and investments	$	30,451	$	34,660	$	—	$	65,111
		FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS AS OF
		31-Dec-13
	(in thousands)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	Cash and cash equivalents:
	Cash and money market accounts	$	69,649	$	—	$	—	$	69,649
	Total cash and cash equivalents	$	69,649	$	—	$	—	$	69,649

Accounts_Payable_Other_Current1

Accounts Payable & Other Current Liabilities (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Payables And Accruals [Abstract]	'
Summary of Accounts Payable and Other Current Liabilities	'
	Accounts payable and other current liabilities consist of the following:
	(in thousands)		MARCH 31,		DECEMBER 31,
			2014		2013
	Accounts payable		$	1,246	$	1,442
	Accrued expenses and other liabilities:
	Employee benefits and compensation related accruals(1)			556		966
	General and administrative related accruals			491		411
	Research and development related accruals			1,397		663
			$	3,690	$	3,482
	(1)	Comprised of accrued bonus, accrued vacation, accrued severance liabilities, and liabilities under the Company’s employee stock purchase plan.

Stock_Purchase_Warrants_Tables

Stock Purchase Warrants (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Text Block [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Equity Classified Warrants Outstanding	'
	As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the following equity classified warrants were outstanding:
	NUMBER OF	EXERCISE		WARRANT	TYPE OF EQUITY
	UNDERLYING	PRICE PER		EXPIRATION	SECURITY
	SHARES	SHARE		DATE
	2,006	$	5	Mar-16	Common Stock
	75,000	$	5	Feb-19	Common Stock
	75,000	$	5	November 2019	Common Stock
	157,500	$	5	Aug-20	Common Stock
	408,295	$	0.05	December 2019	Common Stock

Stockbased_Compensation_Tables

Stock-based Compensation (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Stock Options Activity	'
	The following table summarizes the stock option activity under the Plans:
		NUMBER OF			WEIGHTED AVERAGE		AGGREGATE
		SHARES			EXERCISE PRICE		INTRINSIC
							VALUE
							(000’s)
	Options outstanding at December 31, 2013		3,189,660		$	2.1634	$	50,386
	Granted		995,600			20.3551
	Exercised		—			—
	Cancelled		(7,600	)		7.1837
	Options outstanding at March 31, 2014		4,177,660		$	6.4896	$	61,413
	Options exercisable at March 31, 2014		1,194,950		$	0.8141	$	24,348
Stock-Based Compensation Expense for Options Granted, Restricted Stock and Stock Purchase Rights as Reflected in Statement of Operations	'
	Stock-based compensation expense for options granted, restricted stock and stock purchase rights are reflected in the statement of operations as follows:
		THREE MONTHS					PERIOD FROM
		ENDED					INCEPTION
		MARCH 31,					(JUNE 22,
							2005) TO
							MARCH 31,
		2014			2013		2014
	Research and development	$	615		$	22	$	1,015
	General and administrative		1,307			142		4,795
	Total	$	1,922		$	164	$	5,810

The_Company_Additional_Informa

The Company - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		105 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014
Organization And Nature Of Business [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net cash flows used in operating activities	'	($4,497,000)	($2,379,000)	($79,808,000)
Cumulative net losses	'	-6,671,000	-3,790,000	-101,607,000
Common stock initial public offering	7,728,000	'	'	'
Public offering price of the shares sold	$10	'	'	'
Net proceeds from initial public offering	68,300,000	'	'	71,870,000
Underwriting discounts and commissions	5,400,000	'	'	'
Expenses for initial public offering	$3,600,000	'	'	'
Stock Offering Underwriter Over-Allotments Option [Member]	'	'	'	'
Organization And Nature Of Business [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Common stock initial public offering	1,008,000	'	'	'

Significant_Accounting_Policie3

Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'	'
Realized investment gains or losses	'	'
Investments owned, at fair value	'	'
Warrants exercise price	0.05	'

Significant_Accounting_Policie4

Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of Computation of Diluted EPS (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Notes and interest payable to related parties	'	$6,077,000
Convertible Preferred Stock [Member]	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Potential common stock equivalents excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share	'	12,120,531
Outstanding Stock Options [Member]	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Potential common stock equivalents excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share	4,177,660	1,513,199
Stock Purchase Warrants [Member]	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Potential common stock equivalents excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share	309,506	732,232
Unvested Restricted Common Stock Awards [Member]	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Potential common stock equivalents excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share	210,317	368,281

Significant_Accounting_Policie5

Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of Computation of Diluted EPS (Parenthetical) (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Common shares issued on conversion of convertible preferred stock	12,120,531
Common shares issued on conversion of outstanding convertible notes and accrued interest	1,860,363

Other_Income_Expense_Net_Sched

Other Income (Expense), Net - Schedule of Other Income (Expense), Net (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		105 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014
Other Income And Expenses [Abstract]	'	'	'
Interest expense	'	($293)	($6,329)
(Loss)/gain on conversion of notes payable to related parties	'	'	-1,916
Sale of New Jersey state tax benefit	2,288	1,268	3,556
(Expense)/income due to change in fair value measurements	'	-144	-3,718
Investment and other income, net	23	'	998
Other income (expense), net	$2,311	$831	($7,409)

Investments_Summary_of_Cash_Ca

Investments - Summary of Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Cash And Cash Equivalents And Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Amortized Cost	$35,843	$69,649	$3,540	$2,925
Fair Value	35,843	69,649	'	'
Amortized Cost	29,289	'	'	'
Gross Unrealized Gains	1	'	'	'
Gross Unrealized Losses	-22	'	'	'
Fair Value	29,268	'	'	'
Cash and Money Market Accounts [Member]	'	'	'	'
Cash And Cash Equivalents And Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Amortized Cost	30,451	'	'	'
Fair Value	30,451	69,649	'	'
Certificates of Deposit [Member]	'	'	'	'
Cash And Cash Equivalents And Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Amortized Cost	1,680	'	'	'
Fair Value	1,680	'	'	'
Commercial Paper [Member]	'	'	'	'
Cash And Cash Equivalents And Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Amortized Cost	1,000	'	'	'
Fair Value	1,000	'	'	'
Corporate Bonds [Member]	'	'	'	'
Cash And Cash Equivalents And Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Amortized Cost	2,712	'	'	'
Fair Value	2,712	'	'	'
Cash Cash Equivalents And Investments [Member]	'	'	'	'
Cash And Cash Equivalents And Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Amortized Cost	65,132	'	'	'
Gross Unrealized Gains	1	'	'	'
Gross Unrealized Losses	-22	'	'	'
Fair Value	65,111	'	'	'
Certificates Of Deposit (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Cash And Cash Equivalents And Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Amortized Cost	9,912	'	'	'
Gross Unrealized Gains	'	'	'	'
Gross Unrealized Losses	-13	'	'	'
Fair Value	9,899	'	'	'
Commercial Paper (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Cash And Cash Equivalents And Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Amortized Cost	2,996	'	'	'
Gross Unrealized Gains	1	'	'	'
Gross Unrealized Losses	'	'	'	'
Fair Value	2,997	'	'	'
Corporate Bonds (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Cash And Cash Equivalents And Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Amortized Cost	13,876	'	'	'
Gross Unrealized Gains	'	'	'	'
Gross Unrealized Losses	-9	'	'	'
Fair Value	13,867	'	'	'
Government Agencies (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Cash And Cash Equivalents And Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Amortized Cost	2,505	'	'	'
Gross Unrealized Gains	'	'	'	'
Gross Unrealized Losses	'	'	'	'
Fair Value	$2,505	'	'	'

Investments_Additional_Informa

Investments - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013
Investments Debt And Equity Securities [Abstract]	'
Investment holdings	'

Fair_Value_Measurements_Summar

Fair Value Measurements - Summary of Fair Value of Financial Assets and Liabilities that are Measured at Fair Value and the Classification by Level of Input within Fair Value Hierarchy (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	$35,843	$69,649
Total Investments	29,268	'
Total cash, cash equivalents, and investments	65,111	'
Certificates Of Deposit (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	9,899	'
Commercial Paper (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	2,997	'
Corporate Bonds (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	13,867	'
Government Agencies (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	2,505	'
Cash and Money Market Accounts [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	30,451	69,649
Certificates of Deposit [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	1,680	'
Commercial Paper [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	1,000	'
Corporate Bonds [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	2,712	'
Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	30,451	69,649
Total Investments	'	'
Total cash, cash equivalents, and investments	30,451	'
Level 1 [Member] | Certificates Of Deposit (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	'	'
Level 1 [Member] | Commercial Paper (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	'	'
Level 1 [Member] | Corporate Bonds (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	'	'
Level 1 [Member] | Government Agencies (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	'	'
Level 1 [Member] | Cash and Money Market Accounts [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	30,451	69,649
Level 1 [Member] | Certificates of Deposit [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	'	'
Level 1 [Member] | Commercial Paper [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	'	'
Level 1 [Member] | Corporate Bonds [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	'	'
Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	5,392	'
Total Investments	29,268	'
Total cash, cash equivalents, and investments	34,660	'
Level 2 [Member] | Certificates Of Deposit (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	9,899	'
Level 2 [Member] | Commercial Paper (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	2,997	'
Level 2 [Member] | Corporate Bonds (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	13,867	'
Level 2 [Member] | Government Agencies (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	2,505	'
Level 2 [Member] | Cash and Money Market Accounts [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	'	'
Level 2 [Member] | Certificates of Deposit [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	1,680	'
Level 2 [Member] | Commercial Paper [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	1,000	'
Level 2 [Member] | Corporate Bonds [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	2,712	'
Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	'	'
Total Investments	'	'
Total cash, cash equivalents, and investments	'	'
Level 3 [Member] | Certificates Of Deposit (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	'	'
Level 3 [Member] | Commercial Paper (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	'	'
Level 3 [Member] | Corporate Bonds (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	'	'
Level 3 [Member] | Government Agencies (Due Within 1 Year) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total Investments	'	'
Level 3 [Member] | Cash and Money Market Accounts [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	'	'
Level 3 [Member] | Certificates of Deposit [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	'	'
Level 3 [Member] | Commercial Paper [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	'	'
Level 3 [Member] | Corporate Bonds [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Total cash and cash equivalents	'	'

Accounts_Payable_Other_Current2

Accounts Payable & Other Current Liabilities - Summary of Accounts Payable and Other Current Liabilities (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Payables And Accruals [Abstract]	'	'
Accounts payable	$1,246	$1,442
Accrued expenses and other liabilities:	'	'
Employee benefits and compensation related accruals	556	966
General and administrative related accruals	491	411
Research and development related accruals	1,397	663
Accounts payable and other current liabilities	$3,690	$3,482

Stock_Purchase_Warrants_Schedu

Stock Purchase Warrants - Schedule of Equity Classified Warrants Outstanding (Detail)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Class of Warrant or Right [Line Items]	'	'
EXERCISE PRICE PER SHARE	0.05	'
March 2016 [Member] | Common Stock [Member]	'	'
Class of Warrant or Right [Line Items]	'	'
NUMBER OF UNDERLYING SHARES	2,006	2,006
EXERCISE PRICE PER SHARE	5	5
WARRANT EXPIRATION DATE	'2016-03	'2016-03
February 2019 [Member] | Common Stock [Member]	'	'
Class of Warrant or Right [Line Items]	'	'
NUMBER OF UNDERLYING SHARES	75,000	75,000
EXERCISE PRICE PER SHARE	5	5
WARRANT EXPIRATION DATE	'2019-02	'2019-02
November 2019 [Member] | Common Stock [Member]	'	'
Class of Warrant or Right [Line Items]	'	'
NUMBER OF UNDERLYING SHARES	75,000	75,000
EXERCISE PRICE PER SHARE	5	5
WARRANT EXPIRATION DATE	'2019-11	'2019-11
August 2020 [Member] | Common Stock [Member]	'	'
Class of Warrant or Right [Line Items]	'	'
NUMBER OF UNDERLYING SHARES	157,500	157,500
EXERCISE PRICE PER SHARE	5	5
WARRANT EXPIRATION DATE	'2020-08	'2020-08
December 2019 [Member] | Common Stock [Member]	'	'
Class of Warrant or Right [Line Items]	'	'
NUMBER OF UNDERLYING SHARES	408,295	408,295
EXERCISE PRICE PER SHARE	0.05	0.05
WARRANT EXPIRATION DATE	'2019-12	'2019-12

Stock_Purchase_Warrants_Additi

Stock Purchase Warrants - Additional Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Equity [Abstract]	'	'
Weighted-average remaining lives	'5 years 8 months 27 days	'5 years 11 months 27 days

Stockbased_Compensation_Additi

Stock-based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)

0 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

105 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

105 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

Mar. 21, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 21, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

General and Administrative [Member]

General and Administrative [Member]

General and Administrative [Member]

2005 Aerie Pharmaceutical Stock Plan [Member]

2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan [Member]

2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan [Member]

Minimum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Restricted Stock [Member]

Restricted Stock [Member]

Restricted Stock [Member]

Restricted Stock [Member]

Restricted Stock [Member]

Restricted Stock [Member]

Restricted Stock [Member]

2005 Aerie Pharmaceutical Stock Plan [Member]

2005 Aerie Pharmaceutical Stock Plan [Member]

General and Administrative [Member]

General and Administrative [Member]

Minimum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Equity awards

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

3,229,068

'

'

3,586,277

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Stock-based awards, vesting period

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'1 year

'5 years

'

'

'

'

'

'2 years

'4 years

Stock-based awards, expiration period

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'10 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Stock-based awards, shares granted

'

995,600

'

'

'

'

'

'

995,600

304,800

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Unrecognized compensation expense

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$26,500,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Compensation cost, weighted average recognition period

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'3 years 3 months 18 days

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Options outstanding, weighted average remaining contractual life

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'8 years 9 months 18 days

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Stock options cancelled

345,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Restricted stock, shares issued

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

371,034

'

'

'

'

'

'

Restricted stock, unvested shares

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

210,317

'

'

'

'

'

Restricted stock awards, weighted average remaining contractual term

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'1 year 9 months 18 days

'

'

'

'

'

Stock-based compensation expense

'

$1,922,000

$164,000

$5,810,000

$1,307,000

$142,000

$4,795,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

$534,000

$632,000

$98,000

$38,000

'

'

Stockbased_Compensation_Schedu

Stock-based Compensation - Schedule of Stock Options Activity (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]	'
Options outstanding at December 31, 2013, Number of Shares	3,189,660
Granted, Number of Shares	995,600
Exercised, Number of Shares	'
Cancelled, Number of Shares	-7,600
Options outstanding at March 31, 2014, Number of Shares	4,177,660
Options exercisable at March 31, 2014, Number of Shares	1,194,950
Options outstanding at December 31, 2013, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$2.16
Granted, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$20.36
Exercised, Weighted Average Exercise Price	'
Cancelled, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$7.18
Options outstanding at March 31, 2014, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$6.49
Options exercisable at March 31, 2014, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$0.81
Options outstanding at December 31, 2013, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	$50,386
Options outstanding at March 31, 2014, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	61,413
Options exercisable at March 31, 2014, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	$24,348

Stockbased_Compensation_StockB

Stock-based Compensation - Stock-Based Compensation Expense for Options Granted, Restricted Stock and Stock Purchase Rights as Reflected in Statement of Operations (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		105 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	$1,922	$164	$5,810
Research and Development [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	615	22	1,015
General and Administrative [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	$1,307	$142	$4,795

RelatedParty_Transactions_Addi

Related-Party Transactions - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014
		Novaer Holding, Inc. [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]	'	'
Interest expense	$61,000	'
Agreement with related party, termination date	'	6-Sep-13