Business	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Business	1. Business Cara Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) 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 and pruritus by selectively targeting kappa opioid receptors. The Company’s primary activities to date have been organizing and staffing the Company, developing its product candidates, including conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials of CR845-based product candidates and raising capital. As of December 31, 2015, the Company has raised aggregate net proceeds of approximately $204,800 from several rounds of equity financing, including its initial public offering, or IPO, which closed in February 2014 and its follow-on offering, which closed in August 2015 (see Note 12, Stockholders’ Equity), and the issuance of debt. In addition, the Company earned approximately $32,500 under its license agreements for CR845, primarily with Maruishi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (“Maruishi”) and Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp. (“CKD”), and for an earlier product candidate for which development efforts ceased in 2007. In connection with the license of rights to CR845 in Japan to Maruishi and as part of the earnings described above, in April 2013, the Company received an upfront payment of $15,000, and in August 2014 and September 2015, the Company received an additional $480 and $1,725 (net of contractual foreign currency exchange adjustments), respectively, in milestone payments. In connection with the license of rights to CR845 in South Korea to CKD and as part of the earnings described above, in 2012, the Company received aggregate upfront and milestone payments of $1,190, and in August 2015 and October 2015, the Company received an additional $209 and $417 (net of South Korean withholding taxes), respectively, in milestone payments. As of December 31, 2015, the Company had unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities of $106,740 and an accumulated deficit of $104,891. The Company has incurred substantial net losses and negative cash flows from operating activities in nearly every fiscal period since inception and expects this trend to continue for the foreseeable future. The Company recognized a net loss of $24,690 and had net cash used in operating activities of $21,478 for the year ended December 31, 2015. The Company expects that cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities at December 31, 2015 will be sufficient to fund its operations beyond one year. 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”) 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 and pruritus by selectively targeting kappa opioid receptors. The Company’s primary activities to date have been organizing and staffing the Company, developing its product candidates, including conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials of CR845-based product candidates and raising capital.

As of December 31, 2015, the Company has raised aggregate net proceeds of approximately $204,800 from several rounds of equity financing, including its initial public offering, or IPO, which closed in February 2014 and its follow-on offering, which closed in August 2015 (see Note 12, Stockholders’ Equity), and the issuance of debt. In addition, the Company earned approximately $32,500 under its license agreements for CR845, primarily with Maruishi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (“Maruishi”) and Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp. (“CKD”), and for an earlier product candidate for which development efforts ceased in 2007.

In connection with the license of rights to CR845 in Japan to Maruishi and as part of the earnings described above, in April 2013, the Company received an upfront payment of $15,000, and in August 2014 and September 2015, the Company received an additional $480 and $1,725 (net of contractual foreign currency exchange adjustments), respectively, in milestone payments. In connection with the license of rights to CR845 in South Korea to CKD and as part of the earnings described above, in 2012, the Company received aggregate upfront and milestone payments of $1,190, and in August 2015 and October 2015, the Company received an additional $209 and $417 (net of South Korean withholding taxes), respectively, in milestone payments.

As of December 31, 2015, the Company had unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities of $106,740 and an accumulated deficit of $104,891. The Company has incurred substantial net losses and negative cash flows from operating activities in nearly every fiscal period since inception and expects this trend to continue for the foreseeable future. The Company recognized a net loss of $24,690 and had net cash used in operating activities of $21,478 for the year ended December 31, 2015. The Company expects that cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities at December 31, 2015 will be sufficient to fund its operations beyond one year.

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.