Business	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Business	1. Business Description of Business and Organization Ophthotech Corporation (the “Company” or “Ophthotech”) was incorporated on January 5, 2007, in Delaware. The Company is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of novel therapeutics to treat diseases of the back of the eye, with a focus on developing therapeutics for age-related macular degeneration, or AMD. The Company’s most advanced product candidate is Fovista® (pegpleranib), which is an anti-platelet derived growth factor (“PDGF”) aptamer that is in Phase 3 clinical development for use in combination with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (“VEGF”) drugs that represent the current standard of care for the treatment of wet AMD. The Company has completed one Phase 1 and one Phase 2b clinical trial of Fovista administered in combination with the anti-VEGF drug Lucentis® (ranibizumab), has completed patient enrollment for two Phase 3 clinical trials of Fovista administered in combination with Lucentis and has completed enrollment in a third Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating Fovista in combination with Eylea® (aflibercept) or Avastin® (bevacizumab). The Company has completed enrollment in two additional Phase 2a clinical trials of Fovista administered in combination with anti-VEGF drugs (Lucentis, Eylea or Avastin), one of which is studying the potential of Fovista to reduce subretinal fibrosis in wet AMD patients and the other of which is investigating the optimized regimen of Fovista in combination with anti-VEGF drugs, as well as the potential of Fovista to reduce the treatment burden for wet AMD patients. The Company is also developing its product candidate Zimura® (avacincaptad pegol), an inhibitor of complement factor C5, as a monotherapy for the treatment of patients with geographic atrophy (“GA”), a form of dry AMD, as well as in combination with anti-VEGF drugs for the treatment of wet AMD. The Company is also investigating the potential of an ophthalmic formulation for tivozanib, a small molecule VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor for which the Company has an option for a license.

1. Business

Description of Business and Organization

Ophthotech Corporation (the “Company” or “Ophthotech”) was incorporated on January 5, 2007, in Delaware. The Company is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of novel therapeutics to treat diseases of the back of the eye, with a focus on developing therapeutics for age-related macular degeneration, or AMD. The Company’s most advanced product candidate is Fovista® (pegpleranib), which is an anti-platelet derived growth factor (“PDGF”) aptamer that is in Phase 3 clinical development for use in combination with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (“VEGF”) drugs that represent the current standard of care for the treatment of wet AMD. The Company has completed one Phase 1 and one Phase 2b clinical trial of Fovista administered in combination with the anti-VEGF drug Lucentis® (ranibizumab), has completed patient enrollment for two Phase 3 clinical trials of Fovista administered in combination with Lucentis and has completed enrollment in a third Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating Fovista in combination with Eylea® (aflibercept) or Avastin® (bevacizumab). The Company has completed enrollment in two additional Phase 2a clinical trials of Fovista administered in combination with anti-VEGF drugs (Lucentis, Eylea or Avastin), one of which is studying the potential of Fovista to reduce subretinal fibrosis in wet AMD patients and the other of which is investigating the optimized regimen of Fovista in combination with anti-VEGF drugs, as well as the potential of Fovista to reduce the treatment burden for wet AMD patients. The Company is also developing its product candidate Zimura® (avacincaptad pegol), an inhibitor of complement factor C5, as a monotherapy for the treatment of patients with geographic atrophy (“GA”), a form of dry AMD, as well as in combination with anti-VEGF drugs for the treatment of wet AMD. The Company is also investigating the potential of an ophthalmic formulation for tivozanib, a small molecule VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor for which the Company has an option for a license.