Nature of Operations and Liquidity	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Nature Of Operations And Liquidity Disclosure [Abstract]
Nature of Operations and Liquidity	NOTE 1 — NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND LIQUIDITY Nature of Operations Minerva Neurosciences, Inc. (“Minerva” or the “Company”), formerly known as Cyrenaic Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Cyrenaic”) was incorporated on April 23, 2007. The Company is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of an experimental drug for the treatment of schizophrenia (discussed further in Note 6 — License Agreement). On November 12, 2013, Sonkei Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Sonkei”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of an experimental drug for the treatment of depression and an affiliated company through certain common ownership, was merged into Cyrenaic with Cyrenaic being the surviving company. Subsequent to the merger, Cyrenaic changed its name to Minerva Neurosciences, Inc. On February 11, 2014, the Company acquired Mind-NRG (discussed further in Note 3 — Business Combinations). Mind-NRG is a Swiss development stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of an experimental drug for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The Company acquired 100% of the share capital of Mind-NRG largely to obtain the intellectual property estate which underpins Mind-NRG’s lead product candidate, renamed MIN-301. On February 12, 2014, subject to the completion of an initial public offering (“IPO”), the Company entered into a co-development and license agreement (discussed further in Note 8 — Co-Development and License Agreement) pursuant to which the licensor granted the Company an exclusive license, in certain territories, under certain patent and patent applications to sell products containing any orexin 2 compound, controlled by the licensor and claimed in a licensor patent right, as an active ingredient, or MIN-202, for any use in humans. The license became effective on July 7, 2014 at the closing of the IPO and the payment of the $22.0 million license fee was made at that date. Going Concern The Company has limited capital resources and has incurred recurring operating losses and negative cash flows from operations since inception. As of September 30, 2014, the Company has an accumulated deficit of approximately $67.3 million. Management expects to continue to incur operating losses and negative cash flows from operations. The Company has financed its business to date from proceeds from the sale of common stock, loans and convertible promissory notes. On July 7, 2014, the Company completed an IPO and received net proceeds of $28.2 million, including the over allotment. In addition, on July 7, 2014, the Company sold shares of its common stock in two private placements resulting in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $23.4 million. The Company will need to raise additional capital in order to continue to fund operations and fully fund its clinical development programs. The Company believes that it will be able to obtain additional working capital through equity financings or other arrangements to fund operations; however, there can be no assurance that such additional financing, if available, can be obtained on terms acceptable to the Company. If the Company is unable to obtain such additional financing, future operations would need to be scaled back or discontinued. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared as though the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

NOTE 1 — NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND LIQUIDITY

Nature of Operations

Minerva Neurosciences, Inc. (“Minerva” or the “Company”), formerly known as Cyrenaic Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Cyrenaic”) was incorporated on April 23, 2007. The Company is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of an experimental drug for the treatment of schizophrenia (discussed further in Note 6 — License Agreement). On November 12, 2013, Sonkei Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Sonkei”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of an experimental drug for the treatment of depression and an affiliated company through certain common ownership, was merged into Cyrenaic with Cyrenaic being the surviving company. Subsequent to the merger, Cyrenaic changed its name to Minerva Neurosciences, Inc.

On February 11, 2014, the Company acquired Mind-NRG (discussed further in Note 3 — Business Combinations). Mind-NRG is a Swiss development stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of an experimental drug for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The Company acquired 100% of the share capital of Mind-NRG largely to obtain the intellectual property estate which underpins Mind-NRG’s lead product candidate, renamed MIN-301.

On February 12, 2014, subject to the completion of an initial public offering (“IPO”), the Company entered into a co-development and license agreement (discussed further in Note 8 — Co-Development and License Agreement) pursuant to which the licensor granted the Company an exclusive license, in certain territories, under certain patent and patent applications to sell products containing any orexin 2 compound, controlled by the licensor and claimed in a licensor patent right, as an active ingredient, or MIN-202, for any use in humans. The license became effective on July 7, 2014 at the closing of the IPO and the payment of the $22.0 million license fee was made at that date.

Going Concern

The Company has limited capital resources and has incurred recurring operating losses and negative cash flows from operations since inception. As of September 30, 2014, the Company has an accumulated deficit of approximately $67.3 million. Management expects to continue to incur operating losses and negative cash flows from operations. The Company has financed its business to date from proceeds from the sale of common stock, loans and convertible promissory notes. On July 7, 2014, the Company completed an IPO and received net proceeds of $28.2 million, including the over allotment. In addition, on July 7, 2014, the Company sold shares of its common stock in two private placements resulting in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $23.4 million.

The Company will need to raise additional capital in order to continue to fund operations and fully fund its clinical development programs. The Company believes that it will be able to obtain additional working capital through equity financings or other arrangements to fund operations; however, there can be no assurance that such additional financing, if available, can be obtained on terms acceptable to the Company. If the Company is unable to obtain such additional financing, future operations would need to be scaled back or discontinued.

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared as though the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.