Nature of operations

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Nature of operations

1. Nature of operations

Aquinox Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its subsidiary, Aquinox Pharmaceuticals (Canada) Inc., (consolidated, the “Company”) is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company discovering and developing targeted therapeutics in disease areas of inflammation and immuno-oncology. The Company’s primary focus is anti-inflammatory product candidates targeting SHIP1 (SH2-containing inositol-5’-phosphatase 1), which is a key regulator of an important cellular signaling pathway in immune cells, known as the PI3K pathway.

Aquinox Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was originally incorporated under the name of Aquinox Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc. on May 31, 2007 in the State of Delaware, United States. On January 27, 2014, Aquinox Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc. changed its name to Aquinox Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Aquinox USA”).

Aquinox Pharmaceuticals (Canada) Inc. (“AQXP Canada”) was originally incorporated under the name of 6175813 Canada Inc. on December 26, 2003 under the Canada Business Corporations Act. In May 2014, after a corporate restructuring, the name was changed to Aquinox Pharmaceuticals (Canada) Inc.

The Company operates in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and San Bruno, California.