Segment Information - Research and development expenses disaggregated by nature (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2026	Mar. 31, 2025
Segment Information
Total R&D Expense	$ 73,001	$ 52,614
Single reportable segment
Segment Information
Personnel	15,569	13,600
Laboratory supplies	1,458	2,168
Facility	940	1,406
Product development	50,158	32,166
Other expenses	4,876	3,274
Total R&D Expense	$ 73,001	$ 52,614

Facility expense fees incurred during the period.

No definition available.

Name:	cldx_FacilityExpense
Namespace Prefix:	cldx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Product development expenses including but not limited to clinical investigator site fees, external trial monitoring costs, data accumulation costs, contracted research and outside clinical drug product manufacturing.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cldx_ProductDevelopmentExpense
Namespace Prefix:	cldx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of expense for salary, wage, profit sharing; incentive and equity-based compensation; and other employee benefit.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 21
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147476153/220-40-55-21

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(4))
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147483621/220-10-S99-2

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 220
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04(14)(a))
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147478524/942-220-S99-1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LaborAndRelatedExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of other research and development expense.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 730
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482916/730-10-50-1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of expense for research and development. Includes, but is not limited to, cost for computer software product to be sold, leased, or otherwise marketed and writeoff of research and development assets acquired in transaction other than business combination or joint venture formation or both. Excludes write-down of intangible asset acquired in business combination or from joint venture formation or both, used in research and development activity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 18
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147476153/220-40-55-18

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 14
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147476153/220-40-55-14

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 48
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482785/280-10-55-48

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 985
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147481283/985-20-50-2

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 730
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482916/730-10-50-1

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 912
-SubTopic 730
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479532/912-730-25-1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SegmentReportingInformationLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of expense associated with supplies that were used during the current accounting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 220
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04(14))
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147478524/942-220-S99-1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SuppliesExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=cldx_SingleReportableSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: