Formation and Business of the Company	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Formation and Business of the Company	1. Formation and Business of the Company Aravive, Inc. (“Aravive” or the “Company”) was incorporated on December 10, 2008 in the State of Delaware. Aravive is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies that target important survival pathways for cancer. Prior to the Merger, as described in Note 16, “Merger with Aravive Biologics, Inc.,” Aravive (then known as Versartis, Inc.) was an endocrine-focused biopharmaceutical company that was developing a long-acting recombinant human growth hormone for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency. The “Company” refers to Aravive as a combined company following the completion of the Merger with Aravive Biologics, Inc. (“Private Aravive”). The Merger became effective on October 12, 2018. On October 15, 2018, Versartis, Inc. changed its name to Aravive, Inc. The Company has been primarily performing research and development activities, including clinical trials, filing patent applications, hiring personnel, and raising capital to support and expand these activities. Its headquarters and principal operations are located in Houston, Texas. The Company’s product candidates, Aravive-S6 (AVB-S6), are a set of novel, high-affinity, soluble Fc-fusion proteins designed to block the activation of the GAS6-AXL signaling pathway by intercepting the binding of GAS6 to its receptor AXL. The Company has generated preclinical data for AVB-S6 proteins in both acute myeloid leukemia and certain advanced solid tumors including ovarian, renal, pancreatic, and breast cancers. The Company’s current development program benefits from the availability of a complementary serum-based biomarker that it expects will help accelerate drug development and reduce risk by allowing the Company to select a pharmacologically active dose, better monitoring of therapeutic responses and perhaps better selection of responder patient populations. In its recently completed Phase 1 clinical trial with its clinical product candidate, AVB-S6-500, the Company established proof of mechanism by demonstrating full GAS6 neutralization at all doses tested. Importantly, the lead protein candidate had a favorable safety profile preclinically and in the first in human study. In July 2016, Private Aravive was approved for a $20 million Product Development Award from the Cancer Prevention Institute of Texas (“CPRIT Grant”). The CPRIT Grant is expected to allow Private Aravive to develop the product candidates referenced above through clinical trials. The CPRIT Grant is effective as of June 1, 2016 and terminates on May 31, 2019, unless extended with CPRIT’s approval. After the termination date, Aravive is not permitted to retain any unused grant award proceeds without CPRIT’s approval, but Aravive’s royalty and other obligations, including its obligation to repay the disbursed grant proceeds under certain circumstances, survive the termination of the agreement. The CPRIT Grant is subject to customary CPRIT funding conditions including a matching funds requirement where Aravive will match 50% of funding from the CPRIT Grant. Consequently, Aravive is required to raise $10.0 million in matching funds over the three-year project. Aravive has raised all of its required $10.0 million in matching funds. Private Aravive’s award from CPRIT requires it to pay CPRIT a portion of its revenues from sales of certain products by it, or received from its licensees or sublicensees, at tiered percentages of revenue in the low- to mid-single digits until the aggregate amount of such payments equals 400% of the grant award proceeds, and thereafter at a rate of less than one percent for as long as Aravive maintains government exclusivity. In addition, the grant contract also contains a provision that provides for repayment to CPRIT of the full amount of the grant proceeds under certain specified circumstances involving relocation of Aravive’s principal place of business outside Texas. As consideration for the rights granted as part of a license agreement with Stanford University, Private Aravive is obligated to pay yearly license fees and milestone payments, and a royalty based on net sales of products covered by the patent-related rights. More specifically, Aravive is obligated to pay Stanford University (i) annual license payments (ii) milestone payments of up to an aggregate of $1,000,000 upon achievement of clinical and regulatory milestones, and (iii) royalties equal to a percentage (in the low single digits) of net sales of licensed products; provided that the annual license payments made will offset (and be credited against) any royalties due in such license year. In the event of a sublicense to a third party of any rights based on the patents that are solely owned by Stanford University, Private Aravive is obligated to pay royalties to Stanford University equal to a percentage of what Aravive would have been required to pay to Stanford University had it sold the products under sublicense itself. In addition, in such event Aravive is required to pay to Stanford University a percent of sublicensing income. In the event of a termination, Private Aravive will be obligated to pay all amounts that accrued prior to such termination. In connection with the completion of the Merger, on October 15, 2018, the amended and restated certificate of incorporation of the Company was amended to effect, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on October 16, 2018, a reverse split of Company Common Stock at a ratio of 1-for-6 (the “Amended Certificate”). All share and per share amounts in the consolidated financial statements have been retroactively adjusted for all periods presented to give effect to the reverse split, including reclassifying an amount equal to the reduction in par value to additional paid-in capital. The Reverse Split affected all issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock, as well as Common Stock underlying stock options and restricted stock units outstanding immediately prior to the effectiveness of the Reverse Split.

Formation and Business of the Company

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

1. Formation and Business of the Company

Aravive, Inc. (“Aravive” or the “Company”) was incorporated on December 10, 2008 in the State of Delaware. Aravive is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies that target important survival pathways for cancer. Prior to the Merger, as described in Note 16, “Merger with Aravive Biologics, Inc.,” Aravive (then known as Versartis, Inc.) was an endocrine-focused biopharmaceutical company that was developing a long-acting recombinant human growth hormone for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency. The “Company” refers to Aravive as a combined company following the completion of the Merger with Aravive Biologics, Inc. (“Private Aravive”). The Merger became effective on October 12, 2018. On October 15, 2018, Versartis, Inc. changed its name to Aravive, Inc.

The Company has been primarily performing research and development activities, including clinical trials, filing patent applications, hiring personnel, and raising capital to support and expand these activities. Its headquarters and principal operations are located in Houston, Texas.

The Company’s product candidates, Aravive-S6 (AVB-S6), are a set of novel, high-affinity, soluble Fc-fusion proteins designed to block the activation of the GAS6-AXL signaling pathway by intercepting the binding of GAS6 to its receptor AXL. The Company has generated preclinical data for AVB-S6 proteins in both acute myeloid leukemia and certain advanced solid tumors including ovarian, renal, pancreatic, and breast cancers. The Company’s current development program benefits from the availability of a complementary serum-based biomarker that it expects will help accelerate drug development and reduce risk by allowing the Company to select a pharmacologically active dose, better monitoring of therapeutic responses and perhaps better selection of responder patient populations. In its recently completed Phase 1 clinical trial with its clinical product candidate, AVB-S6-500, the Company established proof of mechanism by demonstrating full GAS6 neutralization at all doses tested. Importantly, the lead protein candidate had a favorable safety profile preclinically and in the first in human study.

In July 2016, Private Aravive was approved for a $20 million Product Development Award from the Cancer Prevention Institute of Texas (“CPRIT Grant”). The CPRIT Grant is expected to allow Private Aravive to develop the product candidates referenced above through clinical trials. The CPRIT Grant is effective as of June 1, 2016 and terminates on May 31, 2019, unless extended with CPRIT’s approval. After the termination date, Aravive is not permitted to retain any unused grant award proceeds without CPRIT’s approval, but Aravive’s royalty and other obligations, including its obligation to repay the disbursed grant proceeds under certain circumstances, survive the termination of the agreement. The CPRIT Grant is subject to customary CPRIT funding conditions including a matching funds requirement where Aravive will match 50% of funding from the CPRIT Grant. Consequently, Aravive is required to raise $10.0 million in matching funds over the three-year project. Aravive has raised all of its required $10.0 million in matching funds.

Private Aravive’s award from CPRIT requires it to pay CPRIT a portion of its revenues from sales of certain products by it, or received from its licensees or sublicensees, at tiered percentages of revenue in the low- to mid-single digits until the aggregate amount of such payments equals 400% of the grant award proceeds, and thereafter at a rate of less than one percent for as long as Aravive maintains government exclusivity. In addition, the grant contract also contains a provision that provides for repayment to CPRIT of the full amount of the grant proceeds under certain specified circumstances involving relocation of Aravive’s principal place of business outside Texas.

As consideration for the rights granted as part of a license agreement with Stanford University, Private Aravive is obligated to pay yearly license fees and milestone payments, and a royalty based on net sales of products covered by the patent-related rights. More specifically, Aravive is obligated to pay Stanford University (i) annual license payments (ii) milestone payments of up to an aggregate of $1,000,000 upon achievement of clinical and regulatory milestones, and (iii) royalties equal to a percentage (in the low single digits) of net sales of licensed products; provided that the annual license payments made will offset (and be credited against) any royalties due in such license year. In the event of a sublicense to a third party of any rights based on the patents that are solely owned by Stanford University, Private Aravive is obligated to pay royalties to Stanford University equal to a percentage of what Aravive would have been required to pay to Stanford University had it sold the products under sublicense itself. In addition, in such event Aravive is required to pay to Stanford University a percent of sublicensing income. In the event of a termination, Private Aravive will be obligated to pay all amounts that accrued prior to such termination.

In connection with the completion of the Merger, on October 15, 2018, the amended and restated certificate of incorporation of the Company was amended to effect, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on October 16, 2018, a reverse split of Company Common Stock at a ratio of 1-for-6 (the “Amended Certificate”).

All share and per share amounts in the consolidated financial statements have been retroactively adjusted for all periods presented to give effect to the reverse split, including reclassifying an amount equal to the reduction in par value to additional paid-in capital.

The Reverse Split affected all issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock, as well as Common Stock underlying stock options and restricted stock units outstanding immediately prior to the effectiveness of the Reverse Split.