Fair Value Measurements - Additional Information (Detail) - Intrexon Corporation/Precigen - Series 1 Preferred Stock - USD ($)		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Jun. 29, 2016	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Issuance of stock in a license agreement (in shares)	100,000	3,847	11,205
Fair value measurement with unobservable inputs reconciliation liability transfers into level 3		$ 0	$ 0
Preferred stock, outstanding shares		0	0

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueAssetsAndLiabilitiesMeasuredOnRecurringAndNonrecurringBasisValuationTechniquesLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of transfers of financial instrument classified as a liability into level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99377789&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationLiabilityTransfersIntoLevel3
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Aggregate share number for all nonredeemable preferred stock (or preferred stock redeemable solely at the option of the issuer) held by stockholders. Does not include preferred shares that have been repurchased.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(28))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of shares issued in lieu of cash for services contributed to the entity. Number of shares includes, but is not limited to, shares issued for services contributed by vendors and founders.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesIssuedForServices
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=ziop_IntrexonCorporationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=ziop_SeriesOnePreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: