Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Inovio have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) as contained in the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") for interim financial information and with instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2018, the condensed consolidated statements of operations and condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 and the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 are unaudited, but include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) that the Company considers necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 shown herein are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2018, or for any other period. These unaudited financial statements, and notes thereto, should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 14, 2018. The balance sheet at December 31, 2017 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. The Company has evaluated subsequent events after the balance sheet date of September 30, 2018 through the date it filed these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements with the SEC. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its subsidiaries. The Company consolidates its wholly-owned subsidiaries Genetronics, Inc., VGX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("VGX") and GENEOS Therapeutics, Inc., and records a non-controlling interest for 15% of VGX Animal Health, Inc., a subsidiary of VGX. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation. The Company has incurred losses in each year since its inception and expects to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future in connection with the research and preclinical and clinical development of its product candidates. The Company’s cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $85.5 million and long-term investments of $12.7 million are sufficient to support the Company's operations for a period of at least 12 months from the date of the quarterly report containing these condensed consolidated financial statements. In addition, the Company could sell up to an additional $86.4 million in shares of its common stock under its At-the-Market Equity Offering Sales Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”). In order to continue to fund future research and development activities, the Company will need to seek additional capital. This may occur through strategic alliance and licensing arrangements and/or future public or private debt or equity financings including use of its Sales Agreement. Although the Company has a history of equity financings including the receipt of net proceeds of $14.9 million under the current and prior Sales Agreement during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and net proceeds of $94.3 million from an underwritten public offering and a previous at-the-market sales facility during the year ended December 31, 2017, sufficient funding may not be available, or if available, may be on terms that significantly dilute or otherwise adversely affect the rights of existing stockholders. If adequate funds are not available in the future, the Company may need to delay, reduce the scope of or put on hold one or more of its clinical and/or preclinical programs. 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, liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Inovio have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) as contained in the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") for interim financial information and with instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2018, the condensed consolidated statements of operations and condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 and the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 are unaudited, but include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) that the Company considers necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 shown herein are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2018, or for any other period. These unaudited financial statements, and notes thereto, should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 14, 2018. The balance sheet at December 31, 2017 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. The Company has evaluated subsequent events after the balance sheet date of September 30, 2018 through the date it filed these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements with the SEC.

These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its subsidiaries. The Company consolidates its wholly-owned subsidiaries Genetronics, Inc., VGX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("VGX") and GENEOS Therapeutics, Inc., and records a non-controlling interest for 15% of VGX Animal Health, Inc., a subsidiary of VGX. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation.

The Company has incurred losses in each year since its inception and expects to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future in connection with the research and preclinical and clinical development of its product candidates. The Company’s cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $85.5 million and long-term investments of $12.7 million are sufficient to support the Company's operations for a period of at least 12 months from the date of the quarterly report containing these condensed consolidated financial statements. In addition, the Company could sell up to an additional $86.4 million in shares of its common stock under its At-the-Market Equity Offering Sales Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”). In order to continue to fund future research and development activities, the Company will need to seek additional capital. This may occur through strategic alliance and licensing arrangements and/or future public or private debt or equity financings including use of its Sales Agreement. Although the Company has a history of equity financings including the receipt of net proceeds of $14.9 million under the current and prior Sales Agreement during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and net proceeds of $94.3 million from an underwritten public offering and a previous at-the-market sales facility during the year ended December 31, 2017, sufficient funding may not be available, or if available, may be on terms that significantly dilute or otherwise adversely affect the rights of existing stockholders. If adequate funds are not available in the future, the Company may need to delay, reduce the scope of or put on hold one or more of its clinical and/or preclinical programs.

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, liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.