Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies Sponsored Research Agreements with MD Anderson On January 9, 2017, we amended our Sponsored Laboratory Study Agreement with MD Anderson whereby we paid $302,500 in 2017, and the agreement was extended to October 31, 2018. On December 4, 2017, we extended this Agreement until October 31, 2019 for total payment amount of $346,687 spread over that period of time. Of this amount, $236,687 was paid in the first quarter of 2018. The final payment of $110,000 is due on July 31, 2018. The expenses recognized under the MD Anderson agreement with regards to the Sponsored Laboratory Study were $291,687 and $33,000, for the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Annamycin As of August 2015, we obtained the rights and obligations of Annamed under a June 2012 Patent and Technology Development and License Agreement by and between Annamed and Dermin (the “Annamed Agreement”). Therefore, certain intellectual property rights, including rights, if any, covering the potential drug product, Annamycin have been licensed to Dermin and Dermin has been granted a royalty-bearing, exclusive license to manufacture, have manufactured, use, import, offer to sell and/or sell products in the field of human therapeutics under the licensed intellectual property in the countries of Poland, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Netherlands, Turkey, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Greece, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Germany (“Annamed licensed territories”). We are obligated to develop and provide a dossier containing data related to the licensed subject matter to Dermin. In consideration, Dermin will pay a royalty for the sale of any licensed product in the Annamed licensed territories and pay all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by us in filing, prosecuting and maintaining the licensed patents for which the license has been granted. Dermin also agrees to provide a percentage of certain consideration that Dermin receives pursuant to sublicense agreements. On June 29, 2017, the Company entered into an agreement with MD Anderson licensing certain technology related to the method of preparing Liposomal Annamycin. The agreement includes a one-time license documentation fee of $40,000, annual maintenance fees of $25,000 until the first sale of drug and has the following the milestone payments: (i) commencement of Phase III Study for first licensed drug/product - $125,000; (ii) submission of the first NDA within the United States - $175,000; and (iii) receipt of first marketing approval for sale of a license product in the United States - $225,000. The expenses recognized under this agreement were $52,500 and $0 for the year ended December 31, 2017 or 2016, respectively. WP1066 Portfolio The rights and obligations to a June 2010 Patent and Technology License Agreement entered into by and between Moleculin LLC and MD Anderson (the “Moleculin Agreement”) have been assigned to us. Therefore, we have obtained a royalty-bearing, worldwide, exclusive license to intellectual property rights, including patent rights, related to our WP1066 drug product candidate. In consideration, we must make payments to MD Anderson including an up-front payment, milestone payments and minimum annual royalty payments for sales of products developed under the license agreement. Annual maintenance fee payments will no longer be due upon marketing approval in any country of a licensed product. One-time milestone payments are due upon commencement of the first Phase III study for a licensed product within the United States, Europe, China or Japan; upon submission of the first NDA for a licensed product in the United States; and upon receipt of the first marketing approval for sale of a licensed product in the United States. The rights we have obtained pursuant to the assignment of the Moleculin Agreement are made subject to the rights of the U.S. government to the extent that the technology covered by the licensed intellectual property was developed under a funding agreement between MD Anderson and the U.S. government. The agreement, as amended, has the following the milestone payments: (i) commencement of Phase III Study for first licensed drug/product within the United States, Europe, China or Japan - $150,000; (ii) submission of the first NDA within the United States - $500,000; and (iii) receipt of first marketing approval for sale of a license product in the United States - $600,000. License fees expensed related to MD Anderson were $85,000 and $77,500, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. We entered into an out-licensing agreement with Houston Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“HPI”), pursuant to which we have granted certain intellectual property rights to HPI, including rights covering the potential drug candidate, WP1066 (“HPI Out-Licensing Agreement”). Under the HPI Out-Licensing Agreement we must make quarterly payments totaling $0.75 million for the first twelve quarters following the effective date of the HPI Out-Licensing Agreement, or May 2, 2016, in consideration for the right to development data related to the development of licensed products. Notwithstanding our obligation to make the foregoing payments, the HPI Out-Licensing Agreement does not obligate HPI to conduct any research or to meet any milestones. Upon payment in the amount of $1.0 million to HPI within three years of the effective date of the HPI Out-Licensing Agreement we will regain all rights to the licensed subject matter and rights to any and all development data and any regulatory submissions including any IND, NDA or ANDA related to the licensed subject matter and can end the license without any other obligation other than the aforementioned quarterly payments. In the event that we do not exercise our right to regain our rights to the licensed subject matter within three years of the effective date of the HPI Out-Licensing Agreement, the license granted to HPI shall convert to an exclusive license upon HPI’s written notice and we shall be obligated to transfer all existing data relating to licensed subject matter including any development data and any IND to HPI. License fees expensed related to HPI were $225,000 and $75,000 respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. In February 2018, we entered into a license agreement covering a new group of molecules recently discovered in connection with research we have been sponsoring at MD Anderson Cancer Center called WP1732, a part of the WP1066 Portfolio. In consideration, we must make payments to MD Anderson including an up-front payment, license documentation fee, annual maintenance fee, milestone payments and minimum annual royalty payments for sales of products developed under the license agreement. Under the agreement, annual maintenance fees are $10,000 on the effective date of the agreement and increase by $5,000 per year up to a maximum of $50,000 per year. Under the agreement, we are required to make royalty payments ranging from 3% to 5% of Net Sales, depending on the intended use, each quarter upon the commencement of sales, with a minimum of $200,000 per year. Additional payments are due upon the commencement of a Phase II study $150,000, submission of a New Drug Application $500,000, and the receipt of marketing approval of a licensed product, $600,000. WP1122 Portfolio The rights and obligations to an April 2012 Patent and Technology License Agreement entered into by and between IntertechBio and MD Anderson (the “IntertechBio Agreement”) have been assigned to us. Therefore, we have obtained a royalty-bearing, worldwide, exclusive license to intellectual property, including patent rights, related to our WP1122 Portfolio and to our drug product candidate, WP1122. In consideration, we must make payments to MD Anderson including an up-front payment, license documentation fee, annual maintenance fee, milestone payments and minimum annual royalty payments for sales of products developed under the license agreement. Under the agreement, annual maintenance fees are $10,000 on the first anniversary of the effective date of the agreement, $20,000 on the second anniversary of the effective date of the agreement, $40,000 on the third anniversary of the effective date of the agreement, $60,000 on the fourth anniversary of the effective date of the agreement, $80,000 on the fifth anniversary of the effective date of the agreement and $100,000 on the sixth anniversary of the effective date of the agreement, except that such payments will no longer be due upon the first sale of a licensed product. Under the assignment, we agreed to make a minimum annual royalty payment in the amount of $200,000 for the first anniversary following the first sale of a licensed product, $400,000 for the second anniversary following the first sale of a licensed product, and $600,000 for the third year following the first sale of a licensed product. License fees expensed related to MD Anderson were $95,000 and $75,000, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. One-time milestone payments are due as follows: 1) Upon commencement of a Phase II study for a licensed product - $200,000; 2) Upon commencement of a Phase III study for a licensed product - $250,000; 3) Upon filing of a New Drug Application (“NDA”) for a licensed product - $400,000; and 4) Upon receipt of market approval for sale of a licensed product - $500,000. The rights we have obtained pursuant to the assignment of the IntertechBio Agreement are made subject to the rights of the U.S. government to the extent that the technology covered by the licensed intellectual property was developed under a funding agreement between MD Anderson and the U.S. government. Employment Agreements The Company has agreements with four employees to provide certain benefits in the event of termination where the base salary and certain other benefits would aggregate approximately $1.0 million using the rate of compensation in effect at December 31, 2017.

Commitments and Contingencies

Sponsored Research Agreements with MD Anderson

On January 9, 2017, we amended our Sponsored Laboratory Study Agreement with MD Anderson whereby we paid $302,500 in 2017, and the agreement was extended to October 31, 2018. On December 4, 2017, we extended this Agreement until October 31, 2019 for total payment amount of $346,687 spread over that period of time. Of this amount, $236,687 was paid in the first quarter of 2018. The final payment of $110,000 is due on July 31, 2018. The expenses recognized under the MD Anderson agreement with regards to the Sponsored Laboratory Study were $291,687 and $33,000, for the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Annamycin

As of August 2015, we obtained the rights and obligations of Annamed under a June 2012 Patent and Technology Development and License Agreement by and between Annamed and Dermin (the “Annamed Agreement”). Therefore, certain intellectual property rights, including rights, if any, covering the potential drug product, Annamycin have been licensed to Dermin and Dermin has been granted a royalty-bearing, exclusive license to manufacture, have manufactured, use, import, offer to sell and/or sell products in the field of human therapeutics under the licensed intellectual property in the countries of Poland, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Netherlands, Turkey, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Greece, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Germany (“Annamed licensed territories”). We are obligated to develop and provide a dossier containing data related to the licensed subject matter to Dermin. In consideration, Dermin will pay a royalty for the sale of any licensed product in the Annamed licensed territories and pay all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by us in filing, prosecuting and maintaining the licensed patents for which the license has been granted. Dermin also agrees to provide a percentage of certain consideration that Dermin receives pursuant to sublicense agreements. On June 29, 2017, the Company entered into an agreement with MD Anderson licensing certain technology related to the method of preparing Liposomal Annamycin. The agreement includes a one-time license documentation fee of $40,000, annual maintenance fees of $25,000 until the first sale of drug and has the following the milestone payments: (i) commencement of Phase III Study for first licensed drug/product - $125,000; (ii) submission of the first NDA within the United States - $175,000; and (iii) receipt of first marketing approval for sale of a license product in the United States - $225,000. The expenses recognized under this agreement were $52,500 and $0 for the year ended December 31, 2017 or 2016, respectively.

WP1066 Portfolio

The rights and obligations to a June 2010 Patent and Technology License Agreement entered into by and between Moleculin LLC and MD Anderson (the “Moleculin Agreement”) have been assigned to us. Therefore, we have obtained a royalty-bearing, worldwide, exclusive license to intellectual property rights, including patent rights, related to our WP1066 drug product candidate. In consideration, we must make payments to MD Anderson including an up-front payment, milestone payments and minimum annual royalty payments for sales of products developed under the license agreement. Annual maintenance fee payments will no longer be due upon marketing approval in any country of a licensed product. One-time milestone payments are due upon commencement of the first Phase III study for a licensed product within the United States, Europe, China or Japan; upon submission of the first NDA for a licensed product in the United States; and upon receipt of the first marketing approval for sale of a licensed product in the United States. The rights we have obtained pursuant to the assignment of the Moleculin Agreement are made subject to the rights of the U.S. government to the extent that the technology covered by the licensed intellectual property was developed under a funding agreement between MD Anderson and the U.S. government. The agreement, as amended, has the following the milestone payments: (i) commencement of Phase III Study for first licensed drug/product within the United States, Europe, China or Japan - $150,000; (ii) submission of the first NDA within the United States - $500,000; and (iii) receipt of first marketing approval for sale of a license product in the United States - $600,000. License fees expensed related to MD Anderson were $85,000 and $77,500, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.

We entered into an out-licensing agreement with Houston Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“HPI”), pursuant to which we have granted certain intellectual property rights to HPI, including rights covering the potential drug candidate, WP1066 (“HPI Out-Licensing Agreement”). Under the HPI Out-Licensing Agreement we must make quarterly payments totaling $0.75 million for the first twelve quarters following the effective date of the HPI Out-Licensing Agreement, or May 2, 2016, in consideration for the right to development data related to the development of licensed products. Notwithstanding our obligation to make the foregoing payments, the HPI Out-Licensing Agreement does not obligate HPI to conduct any research or to meet any milestones. Upon payment in the amount of $1.0 million to HPI within three years of the effective date of the HPI Out-Licensing Agreement we will regain all rights to the licensed subject matter and rights to any and all development data and any regulatory submissions including any IND, NDA or ANDA related to the licensed subject matter and can end the license without any other obligation other than the aforementioned quarterly payments. In the event that we do not exercise our right to regain our rights to the licensed subject matter within three years of the effective date of the HPI Out-Licensing Agreement, the license granted to HPI shall convert to an exclusive license upon HPI’s written notice and we shall be obligated to transfer all existing data relating to licensed subject matter including any development data and any IND to HPI. License fees expensed related to HPI were $225,000 and $75,000 respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.

In February 2018, we entered into a license agreement covering a new group of molecules recently discovered in connection with research we have been sponsoring at MD Anderson Cancer Center called WP1732, a part of the WP1066 Portfolio. In consideration, we must make payments to MD Anderson including an up-front payment, license documentation fee, annual maintenance fee, milestone payments and minimum annual royalty payments for sales of products developed under the license agreement. Under the agreement, annual maintenance fees are $10,000 on the effective date of the agreement and increase by $5,000 per year up to a maximum of $50,000 per year. Under the agreement, we are required to make royalty payments ranging from 3% to 5% of Net Sales, depending on the intended use, each quarter upon the commencement of sales, with a minimum of $200,000 per year. Additional payments are due upon the commencement of a Phase II study $150,000, submission of a New Drug Application $500,000, and the receipt of marketing approval of a licensed product, $600,000.

WP1122 Portfolio

The rights and obligations to an April 2012 Patent and Technology License Agreement entered into by and between IntertechBio and MD Anderson (the “IntertechBio Agreement”) have been assigned to us. Therefore, we have obtained a royalty-bearing, worldwide, exclusive license to intellectual property, including patent rights, related to our WP1122 Portfolio and to our drug product candidate, WP1122. In consideration, we must make payments to MD Anderson including an up-front payment, license documentation fee, annual maintenance fee, milestone payments and minimum annual royalty payments for sales of products developed under the license agreement. Under the agreement, annual maintenance fees are $10,000 on the first anniversary of the effective date of the agreement, $20,000 on the second anniversary of the effective date of the agreement, $40,000 on the third anniversary of the effective date of the agreement, $60,000 on the fourth anniversary of the effective date of the agreement, $80,000 on the fifth anniversary of the effective date of the agreement and $100,000 on the sixth anniversary of the effective date of the agreement, except that such payments will no longer be due upon the first sale of a licensed product. Under the assignment, we agreed to make a minimum annual royalty payment in the amount of $200,000 for the first anniversary following the first sale of a licensed product, $400,000 for the second anniversary following the first sale of a licensed product, and $600,000 for the third year following the first sale of a licensed product. License fees expensed related to MD Anderson were $95,000 and $75,000, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.

One-time milestone payments are due as follows: 1) Upon commencement of a Phase II study for a licensed product - $200,000; 2) Upon commencement of a Phase III study for a licensed product - $250,000; 3) Upon filing of a New Drug Application (“NDA”) for a licensed product - $400,000; and 4) Upon receipt of market approval for sale of a licensed product - $500,000. The rights we have obtained pursuant to the assignment of the IntertechBio Agreement are made subject to the rights of the U.S. government to the extent that the technology covered by the licensed intellectual property was developed under a funding agreement between MD Anderson and the U.S. government.

Employment Agreements

The Company has agreements with four employees to provide certain benefits in the event of termination where the base salary and certain other benefits would aggregate approximately $1.0 million using the rate of compensation in effect at December 31, 2017.