Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail)	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2022 USD ($)
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Incurred any cost to defend lawsuits or settle claims	$ 0
Vehicles [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Operating lease, term of contract	36 months
Bachem and NOF
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Non-cancellable purchase obligation substance over period	5 years
Non-cancellable purchase commitments	$ 97,600,000
Other Commitment	$ 3,300,000

Commitments and contingencies.

No definition available.

Name:	apls_CommitmentsAndContingenciesLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	apls_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Non cancellable purchase obligation substance over period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	apls_NonCancellablePurchaseObligationSubstanceOverPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	apls_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Term of lessee's operating lease, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(3)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=128292326&loc=SL77918673-209980

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount awarded to other party in judgment or settlement of litigation.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmountAwardedToOtherParty
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The minimum amount the entity agreed to spend under the long-term purchase commitment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Minimum amount of other commitment not otherwise specified in the taxonomy. Excludes commitments explicitly modeled in the taxonomy, including but not limited to, long-term and short-term purchase commitments, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, supply commitments, registration payment arrangements, leases, debt, product warranties, guarantees, environmental remediation obligations, and pensions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherCommitment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=apls_BachemAndNofCorporationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: