The Company	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
The Company	The Company Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Aerie”), with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Aerie Distribution, Inc., Aerie Pharmaceuticals Limited and Aerie Pharmaceuticals Ireland Limited (“Aerie Distribution,” “Aerie Limited” and “Aerie Ireland Limited,” respectively, together with Aerie, the “Company”), is an ophthalmic pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of first-in-class therapies for the treatment of patients with open-angle glaucoma and other diseases of the eye. The Company has its principal executive offices in Durham, North Carolina, and operates as one business segment. The Company has an FDA-approved product, Rhopressa^®(netarsudil ophthalmic solution) 0.02% (“Rhopressa^®”), and an advanced-stage product candidate, Roclatan^TM(netarsudil/latanoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.02%/0.005% (“Roclatan^TM”), both designed to reduce elevated intraocular pressure (“IOP”) in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. The Company intends to commercialize Rhopressa^®and Roclatan^TM, if approved, on its own in North American markets. The Company’s strategy also includes pursuing regulatory approval for Rhopressa^®and Roclatan^TM in Europe and Japan on its own. Rhopressa^®, is a once-daily eye drop designed to reduce elevated IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension that received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) approval on December 18, 2017. The Company expects to launch Rhopressa^® in the United States in mid-second quarter of 2018. The Company also intends to file a marketing authorization application with the European Medicines Agency for Rhopressa^®in the second half of 2018. Additionally, the Company has commenced Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trial activities for Rhopressa^® on Japanese patients in the United States and anticipates conducting future Phase 3 registration trials in Japan with the objective of receiving regulatory approval of Rhopressa^® in Japan. The Company’s advanced-stage product candidate, Roclatan^TM, is a once-daily fixed-dose combination of Rhopressa^® and latanoprost for which the Company plans to submit a New Drug Application (“NDA”) to the FDA in the second quarter of 2018. The Company is currently conducting a Phase 3 trial, named Mercury 3, in Europe comparing Roclatan^TMto Ganfort^®, which if successful, is expected to improve its commercialization prospects in that region. Mercury 3 is not necessary for approval in the United States. In 2015, the Company revised its corporate structure to align with its business strategy outside of North America by establishing Aerie Limited and Aerie Ireland Limited. Aerie assigned the beneficial rights to its non-U.S. and non-Canadian intellectual property for Rhopressa^®andRoclatan^TM to Aerie Limited (the “IP Assignment”). As part of the IP Assignment, Aerie and Aerie Limited entered into a research and development cost-sharing agreement pursuant to which Aerie and Aerie Limited will share the costs of the development of intellectual property and Aerie Limited and Aerie Ireland Limited entered into a license arrangement pursuant to which Aerie Ireland Limited will develop and commercialize the beneficial rights of the intellectual property assigned as part of the IP Assignment. In 2016, Aerie assigned the beneficial rights to certain of Aerie’s intellectual property in the United States and Canadato Aerie Distribution, and amended and restated the research and development cost sharing agreement to transfer Aerie’s rights and obligations under the agreement to Aerie Distribution. On July 31, 2017, the Company entered into a collaborative research, development and licensing agreement with DSM, a global science-based company headquartered in the Netherlands. The research collaboration agreement includes an option to license DSM’s bio-erodible polymer implant technology for evaluating its application to the delivery of certain Aerie compounds to treat ophthalmic diseases. This technology uses polyesteramide polymers to produce an injectable, thin fiber that is minute in size. Preclinical experiments have demonstrated early success in conjunction with Aerie’s preclinical molecule, AR-13503, including demonstration of linear, sustained elution rates over several months and achievement of target retinal drug concentrations. On October 4, 2017, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Envisia Therapeutics Inc. (“Envisia”) to acquire the rights to use PRINT^® technology in ophthalmology, as well as rights relating to Envisia’s preclinical dexamethasone steroid implant for the potential treatment of diabetic macular edema that utilizes the PRINT^® technology, referred to as AR-1105. Under the terms of the Agreement, the Company (a) made an upfront cash payment of $10.5 million and issued 263,146 shares of Aerie’s common stock valued at approximately $14.3 million and (b) agreed to make potential milestone payments of up to an aggregate of $45.0 million, contingent upon the achievement of certain product regulatory approvals. Under the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 805: Business Combinations (“ASC Topic 805”), including the provisions of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2017-01 (see Note 2), the Company accounted for the transaction as an asset acquisition rather than a business combination, and expensed $24.8 million of acquired in-process research and development (“IPR&D”) to research and development in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss during the three months ended December 31, 2017. In addition, any milestone payments will be recognized only once the contingency is resolved and such amounts are payable. The Company has not yet commenced commercial operations and therefore has not generated product revenue. The Company received FDA approval for Rhopressa^® on December 18, 2017, and expects to launch Rhopressa^®in mid-second quarter of 2018. As a result, Aerie expects to commence generating product revenues related to sales of Rhopressa^®in mid-2018. The Company’s activities since inception have primarily consisted of developing product candidates, raising capital and performing research and development activities. The Company has incurred losses and experienced negative operating cash flows since inception. The Company has funded its operations primarily through the sale of equity securities (Note 9) and issuance of convertible notes (Note 7). If the Company does not successfully commercialize Rhopressa^®, Roclatan^TM or any future product candidates, it may be unable to generate product revenue or achieve profitability. Accordingly, the Company may be required to obtain further funding through public or private offerings, debt financings, collaboration and licensing arrangements or other sources. Adequate additional funding may not be available to the Company on acceptable terms, or at all. If the Company is unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, it may be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate its research and development programs or commercialization and manufacturing efforts.

The Company

Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Aerie”), with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Aerie Distribution, Inc., Aerie Pharmaceuticals Limited and Aerie Pharmaceuticals Ireland Limited (“Aerie Distribution,” “Aerie Limited” and “Aerie Ireland Limited,” respectively, together with Aerie, the “Company”), is an ophthalmic pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of first-in-class therapies for the treatment of patients with open-angle glaucoma and other diseases of the eye. The Company has its principal executive offices in Durham, North Carolina, and operates as one business segment.

The Company has an FDA-approved product, Rhopressa^®(netarsudil ophthalmic solution) 0.02% (“Rhopressa^®”), and an advanced-stage product candidate, Roclatan^TM(netarsudil/latanoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.02%/0.005% (“Roclatan^TM”), both designed to reduce elevated intraocular pressure (“IOP”) in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. The Company intends to commercialize Rhopressa^®and Roclatan^TM, if approved, on its own in North American markets. The Company’s strategy also includes pursuing regulatory approval for Rhopressa^®and Roclatan^TM in Europe and Japan on its own. Rhopressa^®, is a once-daily eye drop designed to reduce elevated IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension that received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) approval on December 18, 2017. The Company expects to launch Rhopressa^® in the United States in mid-second quarter of 2018. The Company also intends to file a marketing authorization application with the European Medicines Agency for Rhopressa^®in the second half of 2018. Additionally, the Company has commenced Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trial activities for Rhopressa^® on Japanese patients in the United States and anticipates conducting future Phase 3 registration trials in Japan with the objective of receiving regulatory approval of Rhopressa^® in Japan. The Company’s advanced-stage product candidate, Roclatan^TM, is a once-daily fixed-dose combination of Rhopressa^® and latanoprost for which the Company plans to submit a New Drug Application (“NDA”) to the FDA in the second quarter of 2018. The Company is currently conducting a Phase 3 trial, named Mercury 3, in Europe comparing Roclatan^TMto Ganfort^®, which if successful, is expected to improve its commercialization prospects in that region. Mercury 3 is not necessary for approval in the United States.

In 2015, the Company revised its corporate structure to align with its business strategy outside of North America by establishing Aerie Limited and Aerie Ireland Limited. Aerie assigned the beneficial rights to its non-U.S. and non-Canadian intellectual property for Rhopressa^®andRoclatan^TM to Aerie Limited (the “IP Assignment”). As part of the IP Assignment, Aerie and Aerie Limited entered into a research and development cost-sharing agreement pursuant to which Aerie and Aerie Limited will share the costs of the development of intellectual property and Aerie Limited and Aerie Ireland Limited entered into a license arrangement pursuant to which Aerie Ireland Limited will develop and commercialize the beneficial rights of the intellectual property assigned as part of the IP Assignment. In 2016, Aerie assigned the beneficial rights to certain of Aerie’s intellectual property in the United States and Canadato Aerie Distribution, and amended and restated the research and development cost sharing agreement to transfer Aerie’s rights and obligations under the agreement to Aerie Distribution.

On July 31, 2017, the Company entered into a collaborative research, development and licensing agreement with DSM, a global science-based company headquartered in the Netherlands. The research collaboration agreement includes an option to license DSM’s bio-erodible polymer implant technology for evaluating its application to the delivery of certain Aerie compounds to treat ophthalmic diseases. This technology uses polyesteramide polymers to produce an injectable, thin fiber that is minute in size. Preclinical experiments have demonstrated early success in conjunction with Aerie’s preclinical molecule, AR-13503, including demonstration of linear, sustained elution rates over several months and achievement of target retinal drug concentrations.

On October 4, 2017, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Envisia Therapeutics Inc. (“Envisia”) to acquire the rights to use PRINT^® technology in ophthalmology, as well as rights relating to Envisia’s preclinical dexamethasone steroid implant for the potential treatment of diabetic macular edema that utilizes the PRINT^® technology, referred to as AR-1105. Under the terms of the Agreement, the Company (a) made an upfront cash payment of $10.5 million and issued 263,146 shares of Aerie’s common stock valued at approximately $14.3 million and (b) agreed to make potential milestone payments of up to an aggregate of $45.0 million, contingent upon the achievement of certain product regulatory approvals. Under the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 805: Business Combinations (“ASC Topic 805”), including the provisions of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2017-01 (see Note 2), the Company accounted for the transaction as an asset acquisition rather than a business combination, and expensed $24.8 million of acquired in-process research and development (“IPR&D”) to research and development in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss during the three months ended December 31, 2017. In addition, any milestone payments will be recognized only once the contingency is resolved and such amounts are payable.

The Company has not yet commenced commercial operations and therefore has not generated product revenue. The Company received FDA approval for Rhopressa^® on December 18, 2017, and expects to launch Rhopressa^®in mid-second quarter of 2018. As a result, Aerie expects to commence generating product revenues related to sales of Rhopressa^®in mid-2018. The Company’s activities since inception have primarily consisted of developing product candidates, raising capital and performing research and development activities. The Company has incurred losses and experienced negative operating cash flows since inception. The Company has funded its operations primarily through the sale of equity securities (Note 9) and issuance of convertible notes (Note 7).

If the Company does not successfully commercialize Rhopressa^®, Roclatan^TM or any future product candidates, it may be unable to generate product revenue or achieve profitability. Accordingly, the Company may be required to obtain further funding through public or private offerings, debt financings, collaboration and licensing arrangements or other sources. Adequate additional funding may not be available to the Company on acceptable terms, or at all. If the Company is unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, it may be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate its research and development programs or commercialization and manufacturing efforts.