Organization and Operations	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Organization and Operations	1. Organization and Operations Inotek Pharmaceuticals Corporation (the “Company”) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing molecules with novel mechanisms of action to address significant diseases of the eye. The Company’s business strategy is to develop and progress its product candidates through human clinical trials. The Company’s headquarters are located in Lexington, Massachusetts. The Company has devoted substantially all of its efforts to research and development, including clinical trials of its product candidates. The Company has not completed the development of any product candidates. The Company has no current source of revenue to sustain present activities and does not expect to generate revenue until and unless the Company receives regulatory approval of and successfully commercializes its product candidates. The Company is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties similar to those of other life science companies developing new products, including, among others, the risks related to the necessity to obtain adequate additional financing, to successfully develop product candidates, to obtain regulatory approval of products candidates, to comply with government regulations, to successfully commercialize its potential products, to protect proprietary technology and to the dependence on key individuals. In April 2016, the Company filed a registration statement on Form S-3 containing two prospectuses: (i) a base prospectus which covers the offering, issuance and sale of up to $200,000 in the aggregate of an indeterminate number of shares of common stock and preferred stock, such indeterminate principal amount of debt securities and such indeterminate number of warrants and units; and (ii) a sales agreement prospectus covering the offering, issuance and sale of up to a maximum aggregate offering price of $50,000 of the Company’s common stock that may be issued and sold under an at-the-market sales agreement with Cowen and Company, LLC (the “ATM”). The $50,000 of common stock that may be issued and sold under the ATM reduces the available balance under the base prospectus by the amount issued. The Company did not sell any shares of common stock pursuant to the ATM during the three months ended March 31, 2017. At March 31, 2017, $45,599 was available for sale of common stock under the ATM. Additionally, in 2016 the Company issued $52,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2021 pursuant to a Prospectus Supplement to its Form S-3, (the “2021 Convertible Notes”), which further reduces the balance available under the base prospectus to $98,000 as of March 31, 2017. As of March 31, 2017, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $249,547 and $114,705 of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments. The Company will need to expend substantial resources for research and development, including costs associated with the clinical testing of its product candidates and will need to obtain additional financing to fund its operations and to conduct trials for its product candidates. If such products were to receive regulatory approval, the Company would need to prepare for the potential commercialization of its product candidates and fund the commercial launch and continued marketing of its products. The Company expects operating expenses will substantially increase in the future related to additional clinical testing and to support an increased infrastructure to support expanded operations and being a public company. The Company will require additional funding in the future and may not be able to raise such additional funds. The Company expects losses will continue as it conducts research and development activities. The Company will seek to finance future cash needs through public or private equity offerings, license agreements, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances, or any combination thereof. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed payment obligations and could also result in restrictive covenants, such as limitations on the Company’s ability to incur additional debt, limitations on the Company’s ability to acquire, sell or license intellectual property rights and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact the ability of the Company to conduct its business. If adequate funds are not available, the Company would delay, reduce or eliminate research and development programs and reduce administrative expenses. The Company may seek to access the public or private capital markets whenever conditions are favorable, even if it does not have an immediate need for additional capital at that time. In addition, if the Company raises additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, it may have to relinquish valuable rights to its technologies, future revenue streams or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to it. If the Company is unable to raise sufficient funding, it may be unable to continue to operate. There is no assurance that the Company will be successful in obtaining sufficient financing on acceptable terms and conditions to fund continuing operations, if at all. The failure of the Company to obtain sufficient funds on acceptable terms when needed could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

1. Organization and Operations

Inotek Pharmaceuticals Corporation (the “Company”) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing molecules with novel mechanisms of action to address significant diseases of the eye. The Company’s business strategy is to develop and progress its product candidates through human clinical trials. The Company’s headquarters are located in Lexington, Massachusetts.

The Company has devoted substantially all of its efforts to research and development, including clinical trials of its product candidates. The Company has not completed the development of any product candidates. The Company has no current source of revenue to sustain present activities and does not expect to generate revenue until and unless the Company receives regulatory approval of and successfully commercializes its product candidates. The Company is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties similar to those of other life science companies developing new products, including, among others, the risks related to the necessity to obtain adequate additional financing, to successfully develop product candidates, to obtain regulatory approval of products candidates, to comply with government regulations, to successfully commercialize its potential products, to protect proprietary technology and to the dependence on key individuals.

In April 2016, the Company filed a registration statement on Form S-3 containing two prospectuses: (i) a base prospectus which covers the offering, issuance and sale of up to $200,000 in the aggregate of an indeterminate number of shares of common stock and preferred stock, such indeterminate principal amount of debt securities and such indeterminate number of warrants and units; and (ii) a sales agreement prospectus covering the offering, issuance and sale of up to a maximum aggregate offering price of $50,000 of the Company’s common stock that may be issued and sold under an at-the-market sales agreement with Cowen and Company, LLC (the “ATM”). The $50,000 of common stock that may be issued and sold under the ATM reduces the available balance under the base prospectus by the amount issued. The Company did not sell any shares of common stock pursuant to the ATM during the three months ended March 31, 2017. At March 31, 2017, $45,599 was available for sale of common stock under the ATM. Additionally, in 2016 the Company issued $52,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2021 pursuant to a Prospectus Supplement to its Form S-3, (the “2021 Convertible Notes”), which further reduces the balance available under the base prospectus to $98,000 as of March 31, 2017.

As of March 31, 2017, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $249,547 and $114,705 of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments.

The Company will need to expend substantial resources for research and development, including costs associated with the clinical testing of its product candidates and will need to obtain additional financing to fund its operations and to conduct trials for its product candidates. If such products were to receive regulatory approval, the Company would need to prepare for the potential commercialization of its product candidates and fund the commercial launch and continued marketing of its products. The Company expects operating expenses will substantially increase in the future related to additional clinical testing and to support an increased infrastructure to support expanded operations and being a public company.

The Company will require additional funding in the future and may not be able to raise such additional funds. The Company expects losses will continue as it conducts research and development activities. The Company will seek to finance future cash needs through public or private equity offerings, license agreements, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances, or any combination thereof. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed payment obligations and could also result in restrictive covenants, such as limitations on the Company’s ability to incur additional debt, limitations on the Company’s ability to acquire, sell or license intellectual property rights and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact the ability of the Company to conduct its business. If adequate funds are not available, the Company would delay, reduce or eliminate research and development programs and reduce administrative expenses. The Company may seek to access the public or private capital markets whenever conditions are favorable, even if it does not have an immediate need for additional capital at that time. In addition, if the Company raises additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, it may have to relinquish valuable rights to its technologies, future revenue streams or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to it. If the Company is unable to raise sufficient funding, it may be unable to continue to operate. There is no assurance that the Company will be successful in obtaining sufficient financing on acceptable terms and conditions to fund continuing operations, if at all. The failure of the Company to obtain sufficient funds on acceptable terms when needed could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.