Represents the amount of potential additional consideration receivable under contractual agreements.

No definition available.

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the number of compounds included in preclinical development.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
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- Definition

Represents the number of significant deliverables under a contractual agreement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ptct_CollaborativeArrangementsNumberOfSignificantDeliverables
Namespace Prefix:	ptct_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the research period for applying discovery technology.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ptct_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
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- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Represents the term of the grant program.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of deferred revenue as of balance sheet date. Deferred revenue represents collections of cash or other assets related to a revenue producing activity for which revenue has not yet been recognized. Generally, an entity records deferred revenue when it receives consideration from a customer before achieving certain criteria that must be met for revenue to be recognized in conformity with GAAP.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 605
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 13.A.3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65893310&loc=d3e214044-122780

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 605
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 13.A.4(a).Q1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65893310&loc=d3e214044-122780

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Revenue from multiple-deliverable arrangements that include licensing fees and services revenue. Licensing revenue is consideration received from another party for the right to use, but not own, certain of the entity's intangible assets. Licensing arrangements include, but are not limited to, rights to use a patent, copyright, technology, manufacturing process, software or trademark. Licensing fees are generally, but not always, fixed as to amount and not dependent upon the revenue generated by the licensing party. An entity may receive licensing fees for licenses that also generate royalty payments to the entity. Services revenue may be derived by providing other, nonspecified, services during the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1(d),(e))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

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Collaborations and grants (Details)		1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
Collaborations and grants (Details)	Jan. 02, 2011 item	Nov. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2011 USD ($) item	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Minimum
Grant revenue
Term of grant program					2 years
Maximum
Grant revenue
Term of grant program					5 years
Collaboration agreement \| Development event milestones
Collaborations and grants
Collaboration revenue recognized		$ 10,000,000	$ 7,500,000
Collaboration agreement \| Roche and SMA Foundation [Member]
Collaborations and grants
Number of compounds in preclinical development \| item				3
Deferred revenue				$ 30,000,000
Number of significant deliverables \| item				2
Research period for applying technology				2 years
Collaboration revenue recognized					$ 400,000	$ 600,000	$ 20,200,000
Collaboration agreement \| Roche and SMA Foundation [Member] \| Development event milestones \| Maximum
Collaborations and grants
Additional consideration receivable upon achievement of specified events					135,000,000
Collaboration agreement \| Roche and SMA Foundation [Member] \| Sales milestones \| Maximum
Collaborations and grants
Additional consideration receivable upon achievement of specified events					325,000,000
Early stage collaboration and discovery agreements
Collaborations and grants
Deferred revenue					$ 0	0	1,800,000
Number of significant deliverables \| item	2
Collaboration revenue recognized						$ 1,800,000	$ 1,300,000
Early stage collaboration and discovery agreements \| Minimum
Collaborations and grants
Research period for applying technology					3 years
Early stage collaboration and discovery agreements \| Maximum
Collaborations and grants
Research period for applying technology					4 years
Early stage collaboration and discovery agreements \| Development event milestones
Collaborations and grants
Additional consideration receivable upon achievement of specified events					$ 143,000,000
Early stage collaboration and discovery agreements \| Sales milestones \| Maximum
Collaborations and grants
Additional consideration receivable upon achievement of specified events					$ 252,000,000