Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation	Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information (Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 270, Interim Reporting) and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, these financial statements do not include all of the information necessary for a full presentation of financial position, results of operations, and cash flows in conformity with GAAP. In the opinion of management, the condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the Company for the periods presented. These condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the accounts and operations of Athenex, Inc. and those of its subsidiaries in which Athenex, Inc. has a controlling financial interest. Intercompany transactions and balances have been fully eliminated in consolidation. Results of the Company’s operations for the three months ended March 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the year ending December 31, 2020, or for any other future annual or interim period. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 2, 2020.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amount of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Such management estimates include those relating to assumptions used in clinical research accruals, chargebacks, measurement of acquired assets and assumed liabilities in business combinations, provision for credit losses, inventory reserves, income taxes, the estimated useful life and recoverability of long-lived assets, and the valuation of stock-based awards. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Credit Losses	Credit Losses The Company estimates and records a provision for its expected credit losses related to its financial instruments, including its trade receivables and contract assets recorded under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, (“Topic 606”). The Company considers historical collection rates, current financial status of its customers, macroeconomic factors, and other industry-specific factors when evaluating for current expected credit losses. Forward-looking information is also considered in the evaluation of current expected credit losses. However, because of the short time to the expected receipt of accounts receivable and contract assets, the Company believes that the carrying value, net of excepted losses, approximates fair value and therefore, relies more on historical and current analysis of such financial instruments. To determine the provision for credit losses for accounts receivable, the Company has disaggregated its accounts receivable by class of customer, as the Company determined that risk profile of its customers is consistent based on the type and industry in which they operate. These customer classes include pharmaceutical wholesalers for specialty product sales, drug manufacturers for active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) sales, and hospitals and end-users for 503B sales. Each class of customer is analyzed for estimated credit losses individually. In doing so, the Company establishes a historical loss matrix, based on the previous collections of accounts receivable by the age of such receivables, and evaluates the current and forecasted financial position of its customers, as available. Further, the Company considers macroeconomic factors and the status of the pharmaceutical industry, including unemployment rates, industry indices, and other factors, to estimate if there are current expected credit losses within its trade receivables based on the trends and the Company’s expectation of the future status of such economic and industry-specific factors. The Company believes that its customers, the majority of which are in the pharmaceutical industries with sound financial condition, and therefore, the Company’s evaluation of macroeconomic and industry-specific factors did not have a significant impact on the provision for credit losses. Despite of the recent economic downturn due to Covid-19 and the shutdown of non-essential businesses, the pharmaceutical industry has largely remained in operation due to a designation as “essential business”. Pharmaceutical wholesalers are expected to maintain higher inventory levels through the COVID-19 pandemic to minimize disruptions caused by supply chain and logistical issues that arise because of the crisis. With stable financial positions at its major U.S. wholesaler customers, the Company does not anticipate impacts to collection of the receivables from them, which consisted of 84% of our overall product sales revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2020. As of March 31, 2020, the Company recorded a provision for credit losses of less than $0.1 million, $0.1 million, and less than $0.1 million for accounts receivable related to the customer classes of pharmaceutical wholesalers, drug manufacturers, and hospitals and end users, respectively. Expected credit losses related to contract assets are evaluated on an individual basis. The Company’s contract assets relate to upfront fees or milestone payments due from licensees for which the underlying performance obligations have been satisfied. The Company evaluates the financial status of the licensee and any historical payment activity from them. Macroeconomic and industry-specific factors are considered when estimated current expected credit losses related to contract assets. Contract assets are generally classified as short-term, and the Company is in frequent communication with licensees to establish timely payment terms. If the Company expects that credit losses exist for license-related contract assets, it will record provision for such losses against the contract asset. As of March 31, 2020, the Company determined that credit losses related to its contract asset recognized in connection with its license arrangement are not expected to be significant.
Concentration of Credit Risk, Other Risks and Uncertainties	Concentration of Credit Risk, Other Risks and Uncertainties Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, and short-term investments. The Company deposits its cash equivalents in interest-bearing money market accounts and certificates of deposit, invests in highly liquid U.S. treasury notes and high-quality investment grade commercial paper. The Company deposits its cash with multiple financial institutions. Cash balances exceed federally insured limits. The primary focus of the Company’s investment strategy is to preserve capital and meet liquidity requirements. The Company’s investment policy addresses the level of credit exposure by limiting the concentration in any one corporate issuer and establishing a minimum allowable credit rating. The Company also has significant assets and liabilities held in its overseas manufacturing facility, and research and development facility in China, and therefore is subject to foreign currency fluctuation.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted In March 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848)” which provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying generally accepted accounting principles to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. The amendments in this update are effective as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. During 2018, Perceptive issued a senior secured loan to the Company with a principal value of $50.0 million and a maturity date of June 30, 2023. The loan bears interest at a floating per annum rate equal to LIBOR (with a floor of 2.0%) plus 9.0%. The Company is required to make monthly interest-only payments with a bullet payment of the principal at maturity. Provided that, in the event LIBOR can no longer be determined, the parties shall mutually establish an alternative rate of interest and until such time that rate is agreed, the reference rate for purposes of the loan shall be the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate. The ASU guidance allows the Company to account for the modification of the debt contract by prospectively adjusting the effective interest rate. The Company does not expect adoption of this ASU to materially impact the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. Recent Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” to improve reporting requirements specific to loans, receivables, and other financial instruments. The new standard requires that credit losses on financial assets, including trade receivables and held-to-maturity debt securities, measured at amortized cost be determined using an expected loss model, instead of the current incurred loss model. In addition, ASC 326 requires that credit losses related to available-for-sale debt securities be recorded through an allowance for credit losses if the Company does not intend to sell or believes that it is more likely than not they will be require to sell, and limited to the amount by which carrying value exceeds fair value. The new standard also requires enhanced disclosure of credit risk associated with financial assets. The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019 with early adoption permitted. The standard is required to be applied using the modified retrospective approach with a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings, if any, upon adoption. This standard became effective for us on January 1, 2020, and based on the composition of our trade receivables, investment portfolio and other financial assets, current economic conditions and historical credit loss activity, the adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. A significant portion of the Company’s accounts receivable is from large pharmaceutical wholesalers in the U.S., and a licensing fee receivable from a public company in PRC. The Company’s estimate of expected credit losses as of March 31, 2020, using its expected credit loss evaluation process described above, resulted in no adjustments to the provision for credit losses and no cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings on the adoption date of the standard.
Subsequent Events	Subsequent Events The Company reviewed and evaluated subsequent events through the issuance date of the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information (Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 270, Interim Reporting) and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, these financial statements do not include all of the information necessary for a full presentation of financial position, results of operations, and cash flows in conformity with GAAP. In the opinion of management, the condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the Company for the periods presented. These condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the accounts and operations of Athenex, Inc. and those of its subsidiaries in which Athenex, Inc. has a controlling financial interest. Intercompany transactions and balances have been fully eliminated in consolidation.

Results of the Company’s operations for the three months ended March 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the year ending December 31, 2020, or for any other future annual or interim period. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 2, 2020.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amount of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Such management estimates include those relating to assumptions used in clinical research accruals, chargebacks, measurement of acquired assets and assumed liabilities in business combinations, provision for credit losses, inventory reserves, income taxes, the estimated useful life and recoverability of long-lived assets, and the valuation of stock-based awards. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Credit Losses

The Company estimates and records a provision for its expected credit losses related to its financial instruments, including its trade receivables and contract assets recorded under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, (“Topic 606”). The Company considers historical collection rates, current financial status of its customers, macroeconomic factors, and other industry-specific factors when evaluating for current expected credit losses. Forward-looking information is also considered in the evaluation of current expected credit losses. However, because of the short time to the expected receipt of accounts receivable and contract assets, the Company believes that the carrying value, net of excepted losses, approximates fair value and therefore, relies more on historical and current analysis of such financial instruments.

To determine the provision for credit losses for accounts receivable, the Company has disaggregated its accounts receivable by class of customer, as the Company determined that risk profile of its customers is consistent based on the type and industry in which they operate. These customer classes include pharmaceutical wholesalers for specialty product sales, drug manufacturers for active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) sales, and hospitals and end-users for 503B sales. Each class of customer is analyzed for estimated credit losses individually. In doing so, the Company establishes a historical loss matrix, based on the previous collections of accounts receivable by the age of such receivables, and evaluates the current and forecasted financial position of its customers, as available. Further, the Company considers macroeconomic factors and the status of the pharmaceutical industry, including unemployment rates, industry indices, and other factors, to estimate if there are current expected credit losses within its trade receivables based on the trends and the Company’s expectation of the future status of such economic and industry-specific factors. The Company believes that its customers, the majority of which are in the pharmaceutical industries with sound financial condition, and therefore, the Company’s evaluation of macroeconomic and industry-specific factors did not have a significant impact on the provision for credit losses. Despite of the recent economic downturn due to Covid-19 and the shutdown of non-essential businesses, the pharmaceutical industry has largely remained in operation due to a designation as “essential business”. Pharmaceutical wholesalers are expected to maintain higher inventory levels through the COVID-19 pandemic to minimize disruptions caused by supply chain and logistical issues that arise because of the crisis. With stable financial positions at its major U.S. wholesaler customers, the Company does not anticipate impacts to collection of the receivables from them, which consisted of 84% of our overall product sales revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2020. As of March 31, 2020, the Company recorded a provision for credit losses of less than $0.1 million, $0.1 million, and less than $0.1 million for accounts receivable related to the customer classes of pharmaceutical wholesalers, drug manufacturers, and hospitals and end users, respectively.

Expected credit losses related to contract assets are evaluated on an individual basis. The Company’s contract assets relate to upfront fees or milestone payments due from licensees for which the underlying performance obligations have been satisfied. The Company evaluates the financial status of the licensee and any historical payment activity from them. Macroeconomic and industry-specific factors are considered when estimated current expected credit losses related to contract assets. Contract assets are generally classified as short-term, and the Company is in frequent communication with licensees to establish timely payment terms. If the Company expects that credit losses exist for license-related contract assets, it will record provision for such losses against the contract asset. As of March 31, 2020, the Company determined that credit losses related to its contract asset recognized in connection with its license arrangement are not expected to be significant.

Concentration of Credit Risk, Other Risks and Uncertainties

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, and short-term investments. The Company deposits its cash equivalents in interest-bearing money market accounts and certificates of deposit, invests in highly liquid U.S. treasury notes and high-quality investment grade commercial paper. The Company deposits its cash with multiple financial institutions. Cash balances exceed federally insured limits. The primary focus of the Company’s investment strategy is to preserve capital and meet liquidity requirements. The Company’s investment policy addresses the level of credit exposure by limiting the concentration in any one corporate issuer and establishing a minimum allowable credit rating. The Company also has significant assets and liabilities held in its overseas manufacturing facility, and research and development facility in China, and therefore is subject to foreign currency fluctuation.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In March 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848)” which provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying generally accepted accounting principles to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. The amendments in this update are effective as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. During 2018, Perceptive issued a senior secured loan to the Company with a principal value of $50.0 million and a maturity date of June 30, 2023. The loan bears interest at a floating per annum rate equal to LIBOR (with a floor of 2.0%) plus 9.0%. The Company is required to make monthly interest-only payments with a bullet payment of the principal at maturity. Provided that, in the event LIBOR can no longer be determined, the parties shall mutually establish an alternative rate of interest and until such time that rate is agreed, the reference rate for purposes of the loan shall be the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate. The ASU guidance allows the Company to account for the modification of the debt contract by prospectively adjusting the effective interest rate. The Company does not expect adoption of this ASU to materially impact the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

Recent Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” to improve reporting requirements specific to loans, receivables, and other financial instruments. The new standard requires that credit losses on financial assets, including trade receivables and held-to-maturity debt securities, measured at amortized cost be determined using an expected loss model, instead of the current incurred loss model. In addition, ASC 326 requires that credit losses related to available-for-sale debt securities be recorded through an allowance for credit losses if the Company does not intend to sell or believes that it is more likely than not they will be require to sell, and limited to the amount by which carrying value exceeds fair value. The new standard also requires enhanced disclosure of credit risk associated with financial assets. The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019 with early adoption permitted. The standard is required to be applied using the modified retrospective approach with a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings, if any, upon adoption.

This standard became effective for us on January 1, 2020, and based on the composition of our trade receivables, investment portfolio and other financial assets, current economic conditions and historical credit loss activity, the adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. A significant portion of the Company’s accounts receivable is from large pharmaceutical wholesalers in the U.S., and a licensing fee receivable from a public company in PRC. The Company’s estimate of expected credit losses as of March 31, 2020, using its expected credit loss evaluation process described above, resulted in no adjustments to the provision for credit losses and no cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings on the adoption date of the standard.

Subsequent Events

The Company reviewed and evaluated subsequent events through the issuance date of the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.