Business	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Business	1. Business Cara Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”, “we”, “our” or “us”) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical corporation formed on July 2, 2004. The Company is focused on developing and commercializing new chemical entities designed to alleviate pain by selectively targeting kappa opioid receptors. Our primary activities to date have been organizing and staffing our company, developing our product candidates, including conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials of CR845-based product candidates and raising capital. On January 30, 2014, the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 (File No 333-192230) was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for its initial public offering (“IPO”), pursuant to which the Company registered the offering and sale of 5,750,000 shares of its common stock (including 750,000 shares upon exercise of an option by the underwriters) at a public offering price of $11.00 per share for aggregate gross offering proceeds of $63,250. As a result of the IPO, the Company received net proceeds of approximately $56,247 from the sale of 5,750,000 shares of its common stock, after deducting $4,427 of underwriting discounts and commissions and $2,576 of offering expenses, which had been paid or accrued as of June 30, 2014. Prior to the IPO, the Company raised several rounds of equity financing and issued debt, resulting in aggregate net proceeds of approximately $73,309 through December 31, 2013. Upon closing of the IPO, all outstanding shares of the Company’s convertible preferred stock were automatically converted to shares of the Company’s common stock (see Note 8). The Company has incurred substantial losses and negative cash flows from operating activities in nearly every fiscal period since inception, and expects operating losses and negative cash flows to continue into the foreseeable future. As of June 30, 2014, the Company has unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $62,812 and an accumulated deficit of $(69,484). The Company had net cash (used in) provided by operating activities of $(7,330) and $11,334 for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The Company expects that cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2014 will be sufficient to fund its operations beyond one year. The Company recognized net (loss) income of $(3,645) and $5,337 for the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and $(7,028) and $2,705 for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and expects to incur additional losses for the full year ending December 31, 2014. The Company is subject to risks common to other life science companies including, but not limited to, uncertainty of product development and commercialization, lack of marketing and sales history, development by its competitors of new technological innovations, dependence on key personnel, market acceptance of products, product liability protection of proprietary technology, ability to raise additional financing, and compliance with Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and other government regulations. If the Company does not successfully commercialize any of its product candidates, it will be unable to generate recurring product revenue or achieve profitability.

1. Business

Cara Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”, “we”, “our” or “us”) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical corporation formed on July 2, 2004. The Company is focused on developing and commercializing new chemical entities designed to alleviate pain by selectively targeting kappa opioid receptors. Our primary activities to date have been organizing and staffing our company, developing our product candidates, including conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials of CR845-based product candidates and raising capital.

On January 30, 2014, the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 (File No 333-192230) was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for its initial public offering (“IPO”), pursuant to which the Company registered the offering and sale of 5,750,000 shares of its common stock (including 750,000 shares upon exercise of an option by the underwriters) at a public offering price of $11.00 per share for aggregate gross offering proceeds of $63,250. As a result of the IPO, the Company received net proceeds of approximately $56,247 from the sale of 5,750,000 shares of its common stock, after deducting $4,427 of underwriting discounts and commissions and $2,576 of offering expenses, which had been paid or accrued as of June 30, 2014.

Prior to the IPO, the Company raised several rounds of equity financing and issued debt, resulting in aggregate net proceeds of approximately $73,309 through December 31, 2013. Upon closing of the IPO, all outstanding shares of the Company’s convertible preferred stock were automatically converted to shares of the Company’s common stock (see Note 8). The Company has incurred substantial losses and negative cash flows from operating activities in nearly every fiscal period since inception, and expects operating losses and negative cash flows to continue into the foreseeable future.

As of June 30, 2014, the Company has unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $62,812 and an accumulated deficit of $(69,484). The Company had net cash (used in) provided by operating activities of $(7,330) and $11,334 for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The Company expects that cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2014 will be sufficient to fund its operations beyond one year. The Company recognized net (loss) income of $(3,645) and $5,337 for the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and $(7,028) and $2,705 for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and expects to incur additional losses for the full year ending December 31, 2014.

The Company is subject to risks common to other life science companies including, but not limited to, uncertainty of product development and commercialization, lack of marketing and sales history, development by its competitors of new technological innovations, dependence on key personnel, market acceptance of products, product liability protection of proprietary technology, ability to raise additional financing, and compliance with Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and other government regulations. If the Company does not successfully commercialize any of its product candidates, it will be unable to generate recurring product revenue or achieve profitability.