INCOME TAXES (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) ongoing_tax_audit	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Current income tax expense
Federal	$ 0	$ 0	$ (23,000)
State	0	0	0
Canada	0	0	0
Total current tax benefit	0	0	(23,000)
Deferred tax asset
Tangible and intangible depreciable assets	199,000	185,000
Stock compensation	4,429,000	2,360,000
Manufactured drug product inventory to be used in research	0	1,425,000
Provisions	725,000	554,000
Financing fees	78,000	261,000
Net operating loss carry forwards	42,864,000	23,243,000
Capital loss carryforward	102,000	0
Scientific research and experimental development expenditures	5,552,000	5,715,000
Research and development tax credits	2,411,000	266,000
Total gross deferred tax assets	56,360,000	34,009,000
Less valuation allowance	(56,360,000)	(34,009,000)
Net deferred tax assets	0	0
Additional disclosures
Amount of increase in valuation allowance	(22,400,000)
Scientific research and experimental development expenses deductible for income tax purposes		19,900,000
Share issue expenses not deducted	300,000	1,000,000	1,700,000
Reconciliation of the beginning and ending gross amounts of unrecognized tax positions
Unrecognized tax benefits that would not impact effective tax rate	0
Accrual for interest or penalties on tax matters	$ 0	0
Number of ongoing tax audits | ongoing_tax_audit	0
Canadian Federal
Additional disclosures
Scientific research and experimental development expenses deductible for income tax purposes	$ 19,900,000	20,100,000	20,700,000
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	78,419,000
Reconciliation of the beginning and ending gross amounts of unrecognized tax positions
Unrecognized tax positions, beginning of year	42,000	35,000	43,000
Gross increase — current period tax positions	445,000	35,000	0
Gross decrease — prior period tax positions	(4,000)	(28,000)	(13,000)
Gross increase — prior period tax positions	26,000	0	5,000
Unrecognized tax positions, end of year	509,000	42,000	35,000
Canadian Federal | 2030
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	5,907,000
Canadian Federal | 2031
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	7,059,000
Canadian Federal | 2032
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	13,312,000
Canadian Federal | 2033
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	18,623,000
Canadian Federal | 2034
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	32,401,000
Canadian Federal | 2035
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	1,117,000
Canadian Provincial
Additional disclosures
Scientific research and experimental development expenses deductible for income tax purposes	21,600,000	22,700,000	22,400,000
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	77,794,000
Reconciliation of the beginning and ending gross amounts of unrecognized tax positions
Unrecognized tax positions, beginning of year	18,000	6,000	2,000
Gross increase — current period tax positions	259,000	12,000	0
Gross decrease — prior period tax positions	(3,000)	0	0
Gross increase — prior period tax positions	2,000,000	0	4,000
Unrecognized tax positions, end of year	2,274,000	$ 18,000	$ 6,000
Canadian Provincial | 2030
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	5,985,000
Canadian Provincial | 2031
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	7,066,000
Canadian Provincial | 2032
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	12,433,000
Canadian Provincial | 2033
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	19,385,000
Canadian Provincial | 2034
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	31,809,000
Canadian Provincial | 2035
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	1,116,000
US Federal
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	63,853,000
US Federal | 2030
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	0
US Federal | 2031
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	0
US Federal | 2032
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	0
US Federal | 2033
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	3,236,000
US Federal | 2034
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	7,276,000
US Federal | 2035
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	53,341,000
US Federal | Research Tax Credit Carryforward
Additional disclosures
Tax credit carryforward	2,200,000
US State
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	24,448,000
US State | 2030
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	0
US State | 2031
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	0
US State | 2032
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	0
US State | 2033
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	2,286,000
US State | 2034
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	22,162,000
US State | 2035
Additional disclosures
Net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs)	0
US State | Research Tax Credit Carryforward
Additional disclosures
Tax credit carryforward	$ 1,400,000