Description of Business	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Description of Business [Abstract]
Description of Business	1. Description of Business Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company” or “Inovio”) is engaged in the discovery, development, and delivery of a new generation of vaccines, called DNA vaccines, focused on cancers and infectious diseases. The Company’s SynCon^® technology enables the design of “universal” DNA-based vaccines capable of providing cross-protection against new, unmatched strains of pathogens such as influenza. The Company’s electroporation DNA delivery technology uses brief, controlled electrical pulses to increase cellular DNA vaccine uptake. Initial human data has shown this method can safely and significantly increase gene expression and immune responses. The Company’s clinical programs include human papillomavirus (“HPV”)/cervical cancer (therapeutic), avian influenza (preventive), prostate cancer (therapeutic), leukemia (therapeutic), hepatitis C virus (“HCV”) and human immunodeficiency virus (“HIV”) vaccines. The Company is advancing preclinical research for a universal seasonal/pandemic influenza vaccine and other product candidates. The Company’s partners and collaborators include University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, National Microbiology Laboratory of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Program for Appropriate Technology in Health/Malaria Vaccine Initiative (“PATH” or “MVI”), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (“NIAID”), Merck, ChronTech, University of Southampton, United States Military HIV Research Program (“USMHRP”), U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (“USAMRIID”), HIV Vaccines Trial Network (“HVTN”) and Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”).

Description of Business

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

1. Description of Business

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company” or “Inovio”) is engaged in the discovery, development, and delivery of a new generation of vaccines, called DNA vaccines, focused on cancers and infectious diseases. The Company’s SynCon^® technology enables the design of “universal” DNA-based vaccines capable of providing cross-protection against new, unmatched strains of pathogens such as influenza. The Company’s electroporation DNA delivery technology uses brief, controlled electrical pulses to increase cellular DNA vaccine uptake. Initial human data has shown this method can safely and significantly increase gene expression and immune responses. The Company’s clinical programs include human papillomavirus (“HPV”)/cervical cancer (therapeutic), avian influenza (preventive), prostate cancer (therapeutic), leukemia (therapeutic), hepatitis C virus (“HCV”) and human immunodeficiency virus (“HIV”) vaccines. The Company is advancing preclinical research for a universal seasonal/pandemic influenza vaccine and other product candidates. The Company’s partners and collaborators include University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, National Microbiology Laboratory of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Program for Appropriate Technology in Health/Malaria Vaccine Initiative (“PATH” or “MVI”), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (“NIAID”), Merck, ChronTech, University of Southampton, United States Military HIV Research Program (“USMHRP”), U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (“USAMRIID”), HIV Vaccines Trial Network (“HVTN”) and Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”).