Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	6 Months Ended
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	Jun. 30, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	Description of Business and Basis of Presentation Description of Business Exicure, Inc. (the “Company”) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics for immuno-oncology, genetic disorders and other indications based on our proprietary Spherical Nucleic Acid (“SNA”) technology. SNAs are nanoscale constructs consisting of densely packed synthetic nucleic acid sequences that are radially arranged in three dimensions. The Company believes that the design of its SNAs gives rise to distinct chemical and biological properties that may provide advantages over other nucleic acid therapeutics and enable therapeutic activity outside of the liver. The Company is working to advance its SNA therapeutic candidates through multiple clinical trials, including the ongoing Phase 1b/2 clinical trial of cavrotolimod (AST-008) in cancer patients. The Company believes that one of the key strengths of its proprietary SNAs is that they have the potential to enter a number of different cells and organs. The Company has shown in clinical and preclinical studies that SNAs may have therapeutic potential in immunoncology and dermatology. In addition, the Company has shown in preclinical studies that SNAs may have therapeutic potential in neurology, ophthalmology, pulmonology, and gastroenterology. As a consequence, the Company has expanded its pipeline into neurology, and has conducted early stage research activities in ophthalmology, pulmonology, and gastroenterology. Throughout these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, the terms the “Company” and “Exicure” refer to Exicure, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Exicure Operating Company. Exicure Operating Company holds all material assets and conducts all business activities and operations of Exicure, Inc. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, and for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, have been presented in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). Principles of Consolidation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Exicure, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Exicure Operating Company. All intercompany transactions and accounts are eliminated in consolidation. Significant Risks and Uncertainties In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Company has taken and continues to take active measures designed to address and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its business, such as remote working policies, facilitating management’s routine communication to address employee and business concerns and providing frequent updates to the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”). As of July 1, 2020, the Company took occupancy of approximately 30,000 square feet of laboratory and office space in its new headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. Since then, the Company has operated under COVID-19 social distancing guidelines and has generally operated with 100% of its R&D staff on-site. The Company’s office and general and administrative team continues to work predominantly from home. The Company’s preclinical development program in Friedreich’s ataxia (“FA”) is ongoing and it continues to expect that IND-enabling studies for the Company’s FA therapeutic candidate, XCUR-FXN, will begin in late 2020. The Company also continues to progress its collaborations with Allergan Pharmaceuticals International Limited (“Allergan”) and DERMELIX, LLC, d/b/a Dermelix Biotherapeutics (“Dermelix”). However, if the COVID-19 pandemic continues to persist for an extended period of time, the Company could experience significant disruptions to its preclinical development timelines, which would adversely affect its business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. The Company anticipates that the COVID-19 pandemic may have an impact on the clinical development timelines for its cavrotolimod (AST-008) clinical program. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the Company’s business, its clinical development and regulatory efforts, its corporate development objectives and the value of and market for its common stock, will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence at this time, such as the ultimate duration or spread of the pandemic, the possibility of additional periods of increases or spikes in the number of COVID-19 cases, travel restrictions, quarantines, social distancing, phased re-openings and business closure requirements in the United States and other countries, and the effectiveness of actions taken globally to contain and treat the disease. The global economic slowdown, the overall disruption of global healthcare systems and the other risks and uncertainties associated with the pandemic could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. In addition, the Company is subject to other challenges and risks specific to its business and its ability to execute on its business plan and strategy, as well as risks and uncertainties common to companies in the biotechnology industry with research and development operations, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with: obtaining regulatory approval of its product candidates; delays or problems in obtaining clinical supply, loss of single source suppliers or failure to comply with manufacturing regulations; identifying, acquiring or in-licensing additional products or product candidates; product development and the inherent uncertainty of clinical success; and the challenges of protecting and enhancing its intellectual property rights; and the challenges of complying with applicable regulatory requirements. In addition, to the extent the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects the Company’s business and results of operations, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks and uncertainties. Liquidity Risk As of June 30, 2020, the Company has generated an accumulated deficit of $103,295 since inception and expects to incur significant expenses and negative cash flows for the foreseeable future. Based on the Company’s current operating plans, it believes that existing working capital at June 30, 2020 is sufficient to fund the Company for at least the next 12 months. Management believes that it will be able to obtain additional working capital through equity financings, partnerships and licensing, or other arrangements, to fund operations. However, there can be no assurance that such additional financing will be available and, if available, can be obtained on terms acceptable to the Company. The Company has historically principally raised capital through the sale of its securities. However, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rapidly evolve and has already resulted in a significant disruption of global financial markets. The Company believes raising capital in the current market could be very difficult for early stage biotech companies like Exicure. If the disruption continues to persist and deepens, the Company could experience an inability to access additional capital, which could in the future negatively affect its operations. Unaudited Interim Financial Information The accompanying interim condensed consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 2020, the interim condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, the interim condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, the interim condensed consolidated statements of changes in stockholders’ equity for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, and the interim condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the six months ended June, 2020 and 2019, are unaudited. The interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the annual audited financial statements; and in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments necessary for the fair statement of the Company’s financial position as of June 30, 2020, the results of its operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019. The financial data and other information disclosed in these notes related to the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 are unaudited. The results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020, or any other interim periods, or any future year or period. Use of Estimates The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Management bases its estimates on certain assumptions which it believes are reasonable in the circumstances and while actual results could differ from those estimates, management does not believe that any change in those assumptions in the near term would have a significant effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Actual results in future periods could differ from those estimates.