Note 1 - Business	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Notes to Financial Statements
Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Text Block]	1. Business Overview Heron Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on improving the lives of patients by developing best-in-class medicines that address major unmet medical needs. We are developing novel, patient-focused solutions that apply our innovative science and technologies to already-approved pharmacological agents. Our goal is to build on therapeutics with well-known pharmacology by improving their tolerability and efficacy as well as broadening their potential field of use. We are currently developing four pharmaceutical products for patients suffering from cancer or pain. SUSTOL ® (granisetron) Injection, extended release (“SUSTOL”) is being developed for the prevention of both acute and delayed chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting. (“CINV”) associated with moderately emetogenic chemotherapy or highly emetogenic chemotherapy. Our New Drug Application for SUSTOL is pending review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), and has been assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date of January 17, 2016. HTX-019, also being developed for the prevention of CINV, has the potential to become the first polysorbate 80-free, intravenous formulation of aprepitant, a neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist. HTX-011, a long-acting formulation of the local anesthetic bupivacaine in a fixed-dose combination with the anti-inflammatory meloxicam, is being developed for the prevention of post-operative pain. HTX-003, a long-acting formulation of buprenorphine, is being developed for the management of chronic pain and opioid addiction. All of our product candidates utilize our innovative science and technology platforms, including our proprietary Biochronomer® drug delivery technology, which can deliver therapeutic levels of a wide range of otherwise short-acting pharmacological agents over a period of days to weeks with a single injection. Liquidity We have incurred significant operating losses and negative cash flows from operations, and we had an accumulated deficit of $381.6 million as of September 30, 2015. As of September 30, 2015, we had cash and cash equivalents on hand of $153.0 million. We believe that our current cash and working capital are sufficient to fund operations through 2016 based on our current operating plans, including building a commercial infrastructure to support a potential commercial launch of SUSTOL and continuing to pursue our current clinical development programs. In the event we were to pursue clinical product development in other areas, potentially acquire other strategic assets, or if SUSTOL is not approved or the degree of commercial success of SUSTOL is less than expected, we would need to raise additional capital. If we are unable to obtain sufficient financing on acceptable terms or otherwise, we may be required to reduce or defer our activities. Our capital requirements going forward will depend on numerous factors, including but not limited to: the scope, rate of progress, results and costs of preclinical testing and clinical trials; an approval decision by the FDA with respect to SUSTOL; the timing of and costs associated with the commercial launch of SUSTOL, if approved; the degree of commercial success of SUSTOL; the number and characteristics of product development programs we pursue and the pace of each program, including the timing of clinical trials; the time, cost and outcome involved in seeking other regulatory approvals; scientific progress in our research and development programs; the magnitude and scope of our research and development programs; our ability to establish and maintain strategic collaborations or partnerships for research, development, clinical testing, manufacturing and marketing of our product candidates; the cost and timing of establishing sales, manufacturing, marketing and distribution capabilities if we commercialize products independently; the cost of establishing clinical and commercial supplies of our product candidates and any products that we may develop; and general market conditions. We may not be able to raise sufficient additional capital when we need it on favorable terms, or at all. The sale of additional equity in the future may be dilutive to our stockholders. If we are unable to obtain adequate funds on reasonable terms, we may be required to curtail operations significantly or to obtain funds by entering into financing, supply or collaboration agreements on unattractive terms.

1. Business

Overview

Heron Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on improving the lives of patients by developing best-in-class medicines that address major unmet medical needs. We are developing novel, patient-focused solutions that apply our innovative science and technologies to already-approved pharmacological agents. Our goal is to build on therapeutics with well-known pharmacology by improving their tolerability and efficacy as well as broadening their potential field of use.

We are currently developing four pharmaceutical products for patients suffering from cancer or pain. SUSTOL

(granisetron) Injection, extended release (“SUSTOL”)

is being

developed for the prevention

of both acute and delayed

chemotherapy

induced nausea and vomiting. (“CINV”) associated with moderately emetogenic chemotherapy or highly emetogenic chemotherapy.

Our New Drug Application for SUSTOL is pending review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), and has been assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date of January 17, 2016. HTX-019, also being developed for the prevention of CINV, has the potential to become the first polysorbate 80-free, intravenous formulation of aprepitant, a neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist. HTX-011, a long-acting formulation of the local anesthetic bupivacaine in a fixed-dose combination with the anti-inflammatory meloxicam, is being developed for the prevention of post-operative pain. HTX-003, a long-acting formulation of buprenorphine, is being developed for the management of chronic pain and opioid addiction. All of our product candidates utilize our innovative science and technology platforms, including our proprietary Biochronomer® drug delivery technology, which can deliver therapeutic levels of a wide range of otherwise short-acting pharmacological agents over a period of days to weeks with a single injection.

Liquidity

We have incurred significant operating losses and negative cash flows from operations, and we had an accumulated deficit of $381.6 million as of September 30, 2015. As of September 30, 2015, we had cash and cash equivalents on hand of $153.0 million.

We believe that our current cash and working capital are sufficient to fund operations through 2016 based on our current operating plans, including building a commercial infrastructure to support a potential commercial launch of SUSTOL and continuing to pursue our current clinical development programs. In the event we were to pursue clinical product development in other areas, potentially acquire other strategic assets, or if SUSTOL is not approved or the degree of commercial success of SUSTOL is less than expected, we would need to raise additional capital. If we are unable to obtain sufficient financing on acceptable terms or otherwise, we may be required to reduce or defer our activities. Our capital requirements going forward will depend on numerous factors, including but not limited to: the scope, rate of progress, results and costs of preclinical testing and clinical trials; an approval decision by the FDA with respect to SUSTOL; the timing of and costs associated with the commercial launch of SUSTOL, if approved; the degree of commercial success of SUSTOL; the number and characteristics of product development programs we pursue and the pace of each program, including the timing of clinical trials; the time, cost and outcome involved in seeking other regulatory approvals; scientific progress in our research and development programs; the magnitude and scope of our research and development programs; our ability to establish and maintain strategic collaborations or partnerships for research, development, clinical testing, manufacturing and marketing of our product candidates; the cost and timing of establishing sales, manufacturing, marketing and distribution capabilities if we commercialize products independently; the cost of establishing clinical and commercial supplies of our product candidates and any products that we may develop; and general market conditions.

We may not be able to raise sufficient additional capital when we need it on favorable terms, or at all. The sale of additional equity in the future may be dilutive to our stockholders. If we are unable to obtain adequate funds on reasonable terms, we may be required to curtail operations significantly or to obtain funds by entering into financing, supply or collaboration agreements on unattractive terms.