Note 1 - Nature of Business	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2022
Notes to Financial Statements
Nature of Business and Liquidity [Text Block]	1. Nature of Business The terms "MBI" or "the Company", "we", "our", and "us" are used herein to refer to Moleculin Biotech, Inc. MBI is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, organized as a Delaware corporation in July 2015, with its focus is on the treatment of highly resistant cancers and viruses through the development of its drug candidates, based substantially on discoveries licensed from The University of Texas System on behalf of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, which the Company refers to as MD Anderson. MBI formed Moleculin Australia Pty. Ltd., (MAPL), a wholly owned subsidiary in June 2018, to perform certain preclinical development in Australia. This has enabled the Company to realize the benefits of certain research and development tax credits in Australia. In July 2021, MBI formed Moleculin Amsterdam B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary, primarily to act as its legal representative for clinical trials in Europe. In 2019, the Company sublicensed essentially all of the rights to its technologies in over 25 countries in Europe and Asia to WPD Pharmaceuticals Sp.z o.o. (WPD or WPD Pharmaceuticals) in exchange for a minimum amount of externally funded collaboration on development in Europe over a certain amount of time. This sublicense was last amended in December 2021. Also in 2019, the Company sublicensed its technologies to Animal Life Sciences, Inc. (ALI), to enable research and commercialization for non-human use and share development data. As part of this agreement, ALI issued to the Company a 10% interest in ALI. The Company has three core technologies, based substantially on discoveries made at and licensed from MD Anderson. Having six drug candidates, three of which have now shown human activity in clinical trials, the Company believes that success in its lead program, Annamycin, has allowed and will allow further pipeline expansion into multiple high-value oncology indications. The Company's core technologies consist of the following: a) Annamycin; b) WP1066 Portfolio; and c) WP1122 Portfolio. The Company has six drug candidates, representing all three core technologies, and three of those have shown human activity in clinical trials. In the US and Europe, the Company has conducted, are currently, or plans in the near term to be conducting clinical trials for its drug candidates - Annamycin, WP1066, WP1220, and WP1122. All trials are or were in the Phase 1 portion except the WP1220 trial, which was a proof-of-concept trial. In 2021 and early 2022, there were also three "right-to-try" (or their foreign equivalent) uses of Annamycin and WP1066. The Company plans to conduct additional trials and is in the process of obtaining the appropriate regulatory approval and beginning those trials. The Company utilizes its own internal resources and funds to conduct some of these trials and also has trials being conducted via physician-sponsored trials which utilizes primarily external funds, usually grant funds, which are not presented in the financial statements. The Company does not have manufacturing facilities and all manufacturing activities are contracted out to third parties. Additionally, the Company does not have a sales organization. The Company’s overall strategy is to seek potential outlicensing opportunities with development/commercialization strategic partners who are better suited for the marketing, sales and distribution of its drugs, if approved.

Note 1 - Nature of Business

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Nature of Business and Liquidity [Text Block]

1. Nature of Business

The terms "MBI" or "the Company", "we", "our", and "us" are used herein to refer to Moleculin Biotech, Inc. MBI is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, organized as a Delaware corporation in July 2015, with its focus is on the treatment of highly resistant cancers and viruses through the development of its drug candidates, based substantially on discoveries licensed from The University of Texas System on behalf of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, which the Company refers to as MD Anderson. MBI formed Moleculin Australia Pty. Ltd., (MAPL), a wholly owned subsidiary in June 2018, to perform certain preclinical development in Australia. This has enabled the Company to realize the benefits of certain research and development tax credits in Australia. In July 2021, MBI formed Moleculin Amsterdam B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary, primarily to act as its legal representative for clinical trials in Europe.

In 2019, the Company sublicensed essentially all of the rights to its technologies in over 25 countries in Europe and Asia to WPD Pharmaceuticals Sp.z o.o. (WPD or WPD Pharmaceuticals) in exchange for a minimum amount of externally funded collaboration on development in Europe over a certain amount of time. This sublicense was last amended in December 2021. Also in 2019, the Company sublicensed its technologies to Animal Life Sciences, Inc. (ALI), to enable research and commercialization for non-human use and share development data. As part of this agreement, ALI issued to the Company a 10% interest in ALI.

The Company has three core technologies, based substantially on discoveries made at and licensed from MD Anderson. Having six drug candidates, three of which have now shown human activity in clinical trials, the Company believes that success in its lead program, Annamycin, has allowed and will allow further pipeline expansion into multiple high-value oncology indications.

The Company's core technologies consist of the following: a) Annamycin; b) WP1066 Portfolio; and c) WP1122 Portfolio. The Company has six drug candidates, representing all three core technologies, and three of those have shown human activity in clinical trials. In the US and Europe, the Company has conducted, are currently, or plans in the near term to be conducting clinical trials for its drug candidates - Annamycin, WP1066, WP1220, and WP1122. All trials are or were in the Phase 1 portion except the WP1220 trial, which was a proof-of-concept trial. In 2021 and early 2022, there were also three "right-to-try" (or their foreign equivalent) uses of Annamycin and WP1066. The Company plans to conduct additional trials and is in the process of obtaining the appropriate regulatory approval and beginning those trials. The Company utilizes its own internal resources and funds to conduct some of these trials and also has trials being conducted via physician-sponsored trials which utilizes primarily external funds, usually grant funds, which are not presented in the financial statements.

The Company does not have manufacturing facilities and all manufacturing activities are contracted out to third parties. Additionally, the Company does not have a sales organization. The Company’s overall strategy is to seek potential outlicensing opportunities with development/commercialization strategic partners who are better suited for the marketing, sales and distribution of its drugs, if approved.