Nature of the Business	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of the Business	1. Nature of the Business Decibel Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) was formed on November 26, 2013. The Company is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to discovering and developing transformative treatments for hearing and balance disorders, one of the largest areas of unmet need in medicine. The Company aims to restore and improve hearing and balance through the restoration and regeneration of functional hair cells and non-sensory support cells within the inner ear. On October 30, 2020, the Company’s board of directors approved a 1-for-10 reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock. On February 5, 2021, the Company’s board of directors approved a 1-for-5.3 reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock. All share and per share amounts in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been retroactively adjusted for all periods presented to give effect to both reverse stock splits. Initial Public Offering On February 17, 2021, the Company completed an initial public offering (“IPO”), issuing and selling 7,062,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $18.00 per share, and on February 24, 2021, the Company issued and sold an additional 600,000 shares pursuant to the underwriters’ partial exercise of their option to purchase additional shares. The aggregate net proceeds received by the Company from the offering were $125.0 million. Upon closing of the IPO, all outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock automatically converted into shares of common stock. Liquidity Since its inception, the Company’s operations have been focused on organizing and staffing, business planning, raising capital, establishing the Company’s intellectual property portfolio and performing research and development of its product candidates, programs and platform. The Company is subject to risks and uncertainties common to early-stage companies in the biotechnology industry, including but not limited to, risks associated with completing preclinical studies and clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals for product candidates, development by competitors of new biopharmaceutical products, dependence on key personnel, protection of proprietary technology, compliance with government regulations and the ability to secure additional capital to fund operations. Programs currently under development will require significant additional research and development efforts, including preclinical and clinical testing and will need to obtain regulatory approval prior to commercialization. These efforts require significant amounts of additional capital, adequate personnel and infrastructure and extensive compliance-reporting capabilities. Even if the Company’s product development efforts are successful, it is uncertain when, if ever, the Company will realize revenue from product sales. As of December 31, 2021, the Company had cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities of $162.3 million. The Company has determined that its existing capital resources will be sufficient to meet its projected operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least twelve months from the date of issuance of these consolidated financial statements. The Company expects to experience negative cash flows from operations and net losses for the foreseeable future as it continues to invest significantly in research and development of its product candidates, preclinical and clinical development and platform. Management’s conclusion with respect to its ability to fund its operations is based on estimates that are subject to risks and uncertainties that may prove to be incorrect. If actual results differ from management’s estimates, the Company may be required to seek additional funding or curtail planned activities to reduce operating expenses, which may have an adverse impact on the Company’s ability to achieve its business objectives. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has affected and may affect in the future the Company’s ability to initiate and complete preclinical studies, delay the initiation and completion of the Company’s current and planned clinical trials, disrupt regulatory activities or have other adverse effects on the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. In addition, the pandemic has caused substantial disruption to global supply chains and may adversely impact economies worldwide, both of which could adversely affect the Company’s business, operations and ability to raise funds to support its operations. The Company is following, and plans to continue to follow, recommendations from federal, state and local governments regarding workplace policies, practices and procedures. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in accordance with direction from state and local governmental authorities, the Company previously restricted access to its facility to those individuals who must perform critical research, translational medicine and laboratory support activities that must be completed on site, limited the number of such people that can be present at its facility at any one time, and required that most of its employees work remotely. In February 2022 the Company re-opened its facility to all of its employees. Screening and enrollment in the Company's ongoing Phase 1b clinical trial of DB-020 in Australia and the United States have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient screening and enrollment were paused in the second quarter of 2020 in both Australia and the United States, and screening for enrollment did not resume until early in the third quarter of 2020 in Australia and early in the fourth quarter of 2020 in the United States. The Company has also experienced delays in site start-up and the withdrawal of some sites in the United States. In addition, the Company and the third-party manufacturers, contract research organizations and academic collaborators that the Company engages have faced in the past and may face in the future disruptions that could affect its ability to initiate and complete preclinical studies or clinical trials, including disruptions in procuring items that are essential for research and development activities, such as, for example, raw materials used in the manufacture of its product candidates, laboratory supplies for preclinical studies and clinical trials, or animals that are used for preclinical testing, in each case, for which there may be shortages because of ongoing efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions. The Company cannot be certain what the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be on its business, and the pandemic has the potential to adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Nature of the Business

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

1. Nature of the Business

Decibel Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) was formed on November 26, 2013. The Company is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to discovering and developing transformative treatments for hearing and balance disorders, one of the largest areas of unmet need in medicine. The Company aims to restore and improve hearing and balance through the restoration and regeneration of functional hair cells and non-sensory support cells within the inner ear.

On October 30, 2020, the Company’s board of directors approved a 1-for-10 reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock. On February 5, 2021, the Company’s board of directors approved a 1-for-5.3 reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock. All share and per share amounts in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been retroactively adjusted for all periods presented to give effect to both reverse stock splits.

Initial Public Offering

On February 17, 2021, the Company completed an initial public offering (“IPO”), issuing and selling 7,062,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $18.00 per share, and on February 24, 2021, the Company issued and sold an additional 600,000 shares pursuant to the underwriters’ partial exercise of their option to purchase additional shares. The aggregate net proceeds received by the Company from the offering were $125.0 million. Upon closing of the IPO, all outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock automatically converted into shares of common stock.

Liquidity

Since its inception, the Company’s operations have been focused on organizing and staffing, business planning, raising capital, establishing the Company’s intellectual property portfolio and performing research and development of its product candidates, programs and platform.

The Company is subject to risks and uncertainties common to early-stage companies in the biotechnology industry, including but not limited to, risks associated with completing preclinical studies and clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals for product candidates, development by competitors of new biopharmaceutical products, dependence on key personnel, protection of proprietary technology, compliance with government regulations and the ability to secure additional capital to fund operations. Programs currently under development will require significant additional research and development efforts, including preclinical and clinical testing and will need to obtain regulatory approval prior to commercialization. These efforts require significant amounts of additional capital, adequate personnel and infrastructure and extensive compliance-reporting capabilities. Even if the Company’s product development efforts are successful, it is uncertain when, if ever, the Company will realize revenue from product sales.

As of December 31, 2021, the Company had cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities of $162.3 million. The Company has determined that its existing capital resources will be sufficient to meet its projected operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least twelve months from the date of issuance of these consolidated financial statements. The Company expects to experience negative cash flows from operations and net losses for the foreseeable future as it continues to invest significantly in research and development of its product candidates, preclinical and clinical development and platform. Management’s conclusion with respect to its ability to fund its operations is based on estimates that are subject to risks and uncertainties that may prove to be incorrect. If actual results differ from management’s estimates, the Company may be required to seek additional funding or curtail planned activities to reduce operating expenses, which may have an adverse impact on the Company’s ability to achieve its business objectives.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has affected and may affect in the future the Company’s ability to initiate and complete preclinical studies, delay the initiation and completion of the Company’s current and planned clinical trials, disrupt regulatory activities or have other adverse effects on the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. In addition, the pandemic has caused substantial disruption to global supply chains and may adversely impact economies worldwide, both of which could adversely affect the Company’s business, operations and ability to raise funds to support its operations.

The Company is following, and plans to continue to follow, recommendations from federal, state and local governments regarding workplace policies, practices and procedures. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in accordance with direction from state and local governmental authorities, the Company previously restricted access to its facility to those individuals who must perform critical research, translational medicine and laboratory support activities that must be completed on site, limited the number of such people that can be present at its facility at any one time, and required that most of its employees work remotely. In February 2022 the Company re-opened its facility to all of its employees. Screening and enrollment in the Company's ongoing Phase 1b clinical trial of DB-020 in Australia and the United States have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient screening and enrollment were paused in the second quarter of 2020 in both Australia and the United States, and screening for enrollment did not resume until early in the third quarter of 2020 in Australia and early in the fourth quarter of 2020 in the United States. The Company has also experienced delays in site start-up and the withdrawal of some sites in the United States. In addition, the Company and the third-party manufacturers, contract research organizations and academic collaborators that the Company engages have faced in the past and may face in the future disruptions that could affect its ability to initiate and complete preclinical studies or clinical trials, including disruptions in procuring items that are essential for research and development activities, such as, for example, raw materials used in the manufacture of its product candidates, laboratory supplies for preclinical studies and clinical trials, or animals that are used for preclinical testing, in each case, for which there may be shortages because of ongoing efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions.

The Company cannot be certain what the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be on its business, and the pandemic has the potential to adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.