Nature of Operations and Liquidity	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
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”) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of a portfolio of product candidates to treat patients suffering from central nervous system diseases. The Company has acquired or in-licensed four development-stage proprietary compounds that it believes have innovative mechanisms of action and therapeutic profiles that may potentially address the unmet needs of patients with these diseases. The Company’s lead product candidate is roluperidone (also known as MIN-101), a compound the Company is developing for the treatment of schizophrenia. In addition, the Company’s portfolio includes seltorexant (also known as MIN-202 or JNJ-42847922), a compound the Company is co-developing with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV (“Janssen”) for the treatment of insomnia disorder and major depressive disorder (“MDD”); and MIN-301, a compound the Company is developing for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. In November 2013, the Company merged with Sonkei Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Sonkei”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company and, in February 2014, the Company acquired Mind-NRG, a pre-clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. The Company refers to these transactions as the Sonkei Merger and Mind-NRG Acquisition, respectively. The Company holds licenses to roluperidone and MIN-117 from Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (“MTPC”) with the rights to develop, sell and import roluperidone and MIN-117 globally, excluding most of Asia. With the acquisition of Mind-NRG, the Company obtained exclusive rights to develop and commercialize MIN-301. The Company has also entered into a co-development and license agreement with Janssen, for the exclusive right to commercialize, and the co-exclusive right (with Janssen and its affiliates) to use and develop seltorexant in the European Union, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway (the “Minerva Territory”), subject to certain royalty payments to Janssen, and royalty rights for any sales outside the Minerva Territory. Liquidity 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 Company has limited capital resources and has incurred recurring operating losses and negative cash flows from operations since inception. As of March 31, 2020, the Company has an accumulated deficit of approximately $298.9 million and net cash used in operating activities was approximately $9.2 million during the three months ended March 31, 2020. The Company’s management team expects to continue to incur operating losses and negative cash flows from operations. The Company has financed its operations to date from proceeds from the sale of common stock, warrants, loans and convertible promissory notes. As of March 31, 2020, the Company had cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and marketable securities of $37.6 million. The Company believes that its existing cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and marketable securities will be sufficient to meet its cash commitments for at least the next 12 months after the date that the condensed consolidated financial statements are issued. The process of drug development can be costly and the timing and outcomes of clinical trials is uncertain. The assumptions upon which the Company has based its estimates are routinely evaluated and may be subject to change. The actual amount of the Company’s expenditures will vary depending upon a number of factors including but not limited to the design, timing and duration of future clinical trials, the progress of the Company’s research and development programs, the resolution of the Company’s dispute with Janssen as described in Notes 5 and 8, the infrastructure to support a commercial enterprise, the cost of a commercial product launch, and the level of financial resources available. If it is determined that the Company is required to make a significant payment to Janssen, it may not have sufficient cash to make such payment and may be required to incur additional indebtedness or to raise additional funds via an equity financing in order to make such payment to Janssen. The Company has the ability to adjust its operating plan spending levels based on the timing of future clinical trials which will be predicated upon adequate funding to complete the trials. The Company will need to raise additional capital in order to continue to fund operations and fully fund later stage clinical development programs. The Company believes that it will be able to obtain additional working capital through equity financings or other arrangements to fund future 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.

Nature of Operations and Liquidity

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Nature Of Operations And Liquidity Disclosure [Abstract]

NOTE 1 — NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND LIQUIDITY

Nature of Operations

Minerva Neurosciences, Inc. (“Minerva” or the “Company”) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of a portfolio of product candidates to treat patients suffering from central nervous system diseases. The Company has acquired or in-licensed four development-stage proprietary compounds that it believes have innovative mechanisms of action and therapeutic profiles that may potentially address the unmet needs of patients with these diseases. The Company’s lead product candidate is roluperidone (also known as MIN-101), a compound the Company is developing for the treatment of schizophrenia. In addition, the Company’s portfolio includes seltorexant (also known as MIN-202 or JNJ-42847922), a compound the Company is co-developing with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV (“Janssen”) for the treatment of insomnia disorder and major depressive disorder (“MDD”); and MIN-301, a compound the Company is developing for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

In November 2013, the Company merged with Sonkei Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Sonkei”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company and, in February 2014, the Company acquired Mind-NRG, a pre-clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. The Company refers to these transactions as the Sonkei Merger and Mind-NRG Acquisition, respectively. The Company holds licenses to roluperidone and MIN-117 from Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (“MTPC”) with the rights to develop, sell and import roluperidone and MIN-117 globally, excluding most of Asia. With the acquisition of Mind-NRG, the Company obtained exclusive rights to develop and commercialize MIN-301. The Company has also entered into a co-development and license agreement with Janssen, for the exclusive right to commercialize, and the co-exclusive right (with Janssen and its affiliates) to use and develop seltorexant in the European Union, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway (the “Minerva Territory”), subject to certain royalty payments to Janssen, and royalty rights for any sales outside the Minerva Territory.

Liquidity

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 Company has limited capital resources and has incurred recurring operating losses and negative cash flows from operations since inception. As of March 31, 2020, the Company has an accumulated deficit of approximately $298.9 million and net cash used in operating activities was approximately $9.2 million during the three months ended March 31, 2020. The Company’s management team expects to continue to incur operating losses and negative cash flows from operations. The Company has financed its operations to date from proceeds from the sale of common stock, warrants, loans and convertible promissory notes.

As of March 31, 2020, the Company had cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and marketable securities of $37.6 million. The Company believes that its existing cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and marketable securities will be sufficient to meet its cash commitments for at least the next 12 months after the date that the condensed consolidated financial statements are issued. The process of drug development can be costly and the timing and outcomes of clinical trials is uncertain. The assumptions upon which the Company has based its estimates are routinely evaluated and may be subject to change. The actual amount of the Company’s expenditures will vary depending upon a number of factors including but not limited to the design, timing and duration of future clinical trials, the progress of the Company’s research and development programs, the resolution of the Company’s dispute with Janssen as described in Notes 5 and 8, the infrastructure to support a commercial enterprise, the cost of a commercial product launch, and the level of financial resources available. If it is determined that the Company is required to make a significant payment to Janssen, it may not have sufficient cash to make such payment and may be required to incur additional indebtedness or to raise additional funds via an equity financing in order to make such payment to Janssen. The Company has the ability to adjust its operating plan spending levels based on the timing of future clinical trials which will be predicated upon adequate funding to complete the trials.

The Company will need to raise additional capital in order to continue to fund operations and fully fund later stage clinical development programs. The Company believes that it will be able to obtain additional working capital through equity financings or other arrangements to fund future 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.