Description of Business	3 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2020
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of Business	Note 1. Description of Business Nature of operations Organovo Holdings, Inc. (“Organovo Holdings,” “Organovo,” and “the Company”) is an early-stage biotechnology company that has focused on pioneering the development of bioprinted 3D human tissues that emulate key aspects of human biology and disease. Except where specifically noted or the context otherwise requires, references to “Organovo Holdings,” “the Company,” and “Organovo” in these notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements refers to Organovo Holdings, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Organovo, Inc. and Opal Merger Sub, Inc. Historical Operations and Strategic Alternatives Process Prior to August 2019, the Company has focused its efforts on developing its in vivo liver tissues to treat end-stage liver disease and a select group of life-threatening, orphan diseases, for which there are limited treatment options other than organ transplantation. The Company also explored the development of other potential pipeline in vivo tissue constructs in-house and through collaborations with academic and government researchers. In the past, the Company also explored the development of in vitro tissues, including proof of concept models of diseased tissues, for use in drug discovery and development. In August 2019, after a rigorous assessment of its in vitro liver therapeutic tissue program, the Company concluded that the variability of biological performance and related duration of potential benefits no longer supported an attractive opportunity due to redevelopment challenges and lengthening timelines to compile sufficient data to support an IND filing. As a result, the Company suspended development of its lead program and all other related in-house pipeline development activities. The Company’s Board also engaged a financial advisory firm to explore the Company’s available strategic alternatives, including evaluating a range of ways to generate value from its technology platform and intellectual property, its commercial and development capabilities, its listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, and the Company’s remaining financial assets. These strategic alternatives included possible mergers and business combinations, sales of part or all of our assets, and licensing and partnering arrangements. The Company implemented various restructuring steps to manage its resources and extend its cash runway, including reducing commercial activities related to its liver tissues, except for sales of primary human cells out of inventory, negotiating an exit from its long-term facility lease, selling various assets, and reducing its workforce. Additionally, in November 2019, the Company sold certain inventory and equipment and related proprietary information held by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Samsara Sciences, Inc. (“Samsara”), and as a result of such sale, Samsara ceased its operations. After conducting a diligent and extensive process of evaluating strategic alternatives and identifying and reviewing potential candidates for a strategic acquisition or other transaction, which included the receipt of more than 27 non-binding indications of interest from interested parties and careful evaluation and consideration of those proposals, and following extensive negotiation with Tarveda, on December 13, 2019, the Company entered into a merger agreement with Tarveda (the “Merger Agreement”). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, and subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, the Company’s wholly-owned merger subsidiary would merge (the “Merger”) into Tarveda, with Tarveda surviving the Merger. The Merger Agreement included various conditions to the consummation of the Merger, including approval by the Company’s stockholders at a Special Meeting of Stockholders to be held on April 7, 2020 (the “Special Meeting”). At the Special Meeting, the Merger was not approved by the Company’s stockholders. As a result, the Company terminated the Merger Agreement with Tarveda. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, the Company was obligated to reimburse certain of Tarveda’s merger-related expenses not to exceed $300,000, which was offset by Tarveda’s portion of shared expenses incurred by Organovo in fiscal 2020. The Cooperation Agreement and Advisory Nominees Proposal Following the Special Meeting and the termination of the Merger Agreement, the Company’s Board continued to solicit stockholder feedback regarding the Company’s strategic alternatives and how to maximize stockholder value. In response to feedback from its largest stockholder regarding its desire for the Board to consider opportunities in the 3D bioprinting field and suggestion that the Board should speak with Keith Murphy, the Company’s founder, stockholder and former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, for potential business ideas, the Company’s Board initiated discussions with Mr. Murphy. Based on these discussions, the Company entered into a Cooperation Agreement with Mr. Murphy on July 14, 2020 (the “Cooperation Agreement”). Under the terms of the Cooperation Agreement, the Board appointed Mr. Murphy and Adam K. Stern to the Board as Class III directors, and two of the Company’s existing directors, Richard Maroun and David Shapiro, resigned from the Board and all Board committees. The Board also agreed to nominate, recommend, support and solicit proxies for the re-election of Messrs. Murphy and Stern at the Company’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “2020 Annual Meeting”). The Board also agreed to nominate, recommend, support and solicit proxies for an advisory stockholder vote (the “Advisory Nominees Proposal”) at the 2020 Annual Meeting to appoint three individuals, Douglas Jay Cohen, David Gobel and Alison Tjosvold Milhous (collectively, the “Advisory Nominees”), to the Board. Mr. Murphy identified each of the Advisory Nominees. If the final vote tabulation for the Advisory Nominees Proposal receives more votes cast “FOR” than “AGAINST” its approval, the Board has approved the appointment of the Advisory Nominees, to be automatically effective immediately following the final adjournment of the 2020 Annual Meeting. In addition, immediately following the appointment of the Advisory Nominees, each of our existing directors (other than Messrs. Murphy and Stern) will resign from the Board, which will result in Messrs. Murphy and Stern and the Advisory Nominees constituting the full membership of the Board (collectively, the “New Director Slate”). Proposed Drug Discovery Business The New Director Slate has advised the Company that if the Advisory Nominees Proposal is approved at the 2020 Annual Meeting, the New Director Slate intends to recommence operations and focus the Company’s efforts on developing highly customized human tissues as living, dynamic models of human biology and disease for use in drug discovery and development. The New Director Slate has advised the Company that it believes the Company’s proprietary technology can be used to build functional 3D human tissues that mimic key aspects of native human tissue composition, architecture, and function. The New Director Slate also believes the Company can utilize its proprietary technology to develop highly customized and dynamic models of human disease, including cell type-specific compartments, prevalent intercellular tight junctions, and microvascular structures. They believe these features can facilitate the Company’s development of complex, multicellular disease models for use in the development of targeted therapeutics for various diseases including, among others, intestine, kidney, skin and breast diseases. Market opportunities may include externally-partnered or internally-directed drug discovery and the clinical development of new molecular entities or repurposed drugs in-licensed from other pharmaceutical companies. The goal of the New Director Slate is for the Company to establish a pipeline of drug candidates in high-value disease areas, aiming to commence human clinical testing for at least one drug candidate within a three to four year timeframe. If the Advisory Nominees Proposal is approved, the New Director Slate intends to restart the Company’s research operations by hiring a team of R&D professionals with the experience required to develop bioprinted and other 3D tissues for use in drug discovery, to leverage 3D models of disease to discover new drug candidates, and to develop new drug candidates for the initiation of clinical studies. The New Director Slate has advised the Company that they expect our research and development staff to grow to seven to ten employees. They also expect to maintain or grow a general and administrative staff of three to five employees to support the Company’s operations and reporting requirements as a public company. If the Advisory Nominees Proposal is approved, the New Director Slate has advised us that the Company expects to lease sufficient office and laboratory space to support its requirements. They expect that the Company will need space in the short term in the 3,000-7,000 sq. ft. range, with mixed office and laboratory space. They expect to lease a new facility in San Diego at prevailing market terms. COVID-19 In December 2019 a respiratory illness caused by a novel strain of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, causing the Coronavirus Disease 2019, also known as COVID-19 or coronavirus emerged. While initially the outbreak was largely concentrated in China it has spread globally. Global health concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic have been weighing on the macroeconomic environment, and the pandemic has significantly increased economic volatility and uncertainty. The pandemic has resulted in government authorities implementing numerous measures to try to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders, and business shutdowns. The extent to which the coronavirus impacts the Company’s operations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the duration of the outbreak and travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders, and business shutdowns. In particular, the continued coronavirus pandemic could adversely impact the Company’s operations, including among others, the timing and ability to pursue strategic alternatives, given the impact it may have on the manufacturing and supply chain, sales and marketing and clinical trial operations of potential strategic partners, and the ability, if we elect to do so, to advance our research and development activities and pursue development of any of our pipeline products, each of which could have an adverse impact on the Company’s business and financial results.

Description of Business

3 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Note 1. Description of Business

Nature of operations

Organovo Holdings, Inc. (“Organovo Holdings,” “Organovo,” and “the Company”) is an early-stage biotechnology company that has focused on pioneering the development of bioprinted 3D human tissues that emulate key aspects of human biology and disease. Except where specifically noted or the context otherwise requires, references to “Organovo Holdings,” “the Company,” and “Organovo” in these notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements refers to Organovo Holdings, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Organovo, Inc. and Opal Merger Sub, Inc.

Historical Operations and Strategic Alternatives Process

Prior to August 2019, the Company has focused its efforts on developing its in vivo liver tissues to treat end-stage liver disease and a select group of life-threatening, orphan diseases, for which there are limited treatment options other than organ transplantation. The Company also explored the development of other potential pipeline in vivo tissue constructs in-house and through collaborations with academic and government researchers. In the past, the Company also explored the development of in vitro tissues, including proof of concept models of diseased tissues, for use in drug discovery and development.

In August 2019, after a rigorous assessment of its in vitro liver therapeutic tissue program, the Company concluded that the variability of biological performance and related duration of potential benefits no longer supported an attractive opportunity due to redevelopment challenges and lengthening timelines to compile sufficient data to support an IND filing. As a result, the Company suspended development of its lead program and all other related in-house pipeline development activities.

The Company’s Board also engaged a financial advisory firm to explore the Company’s available strategic alternatives, including evaluating a range of ways to generate value from its technology platform and intellectual property, its commercial and development capabilities, its listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, and the Company’s remaining financial assets. These strategic alternatives included possible mergers and business combinations, sales of part or all of our assets, and licensing and partnering arrangements. The Company implemented various restructuring steps to manage its resources and extend its cash runway, including reducing commercial activities related to its liver tissues, except for sales of primary human cells out of inventory, negotiating an exit from its long-term facility lease, selling various assets, and reducing its workforce. Additionally, in November 2019, the Company sold certain inventory and equipment and related proprietary information held by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Samsara Sciences, Inc. (“Samsara”), and as a result of such sale, Samsara ceased its operations.

After conducting a diligent and extensive process of evaluating strategic alternatives and identifying and reviewing potential candidates for a strategic acquisition or other transaction, which included the receipt of more than 27 non-binding indications of interest from interested parties and careful evaluation and consideration of those proposals, and following extensive negotiation with Tarveda, on December 13, 2019, the Company entered into a merger agreement with Tarveda (the “Merger Agreement”). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, and subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, the Company’s wholly-owned merger subsidiary would merge (the “Merger”) into Tarveda, with Tarveda surviving the Merger. The Merger Agreement included various conditions to the consummation of the Merger, including approval by the Company’s stockholders at a Special Meeting of Stockholders to be held on April 7, 2020 (the “Special Meeting”).

At the Special Meeting, the Merger was not approved by the Company’s stockholders. As a result, the Company terminated the Merger Agreement with Tarveda. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, the Company was obligated to reimburse certain of Tarveda’s merger-related expenses not to exceed $300,000, which was offset by Tarveda’s portion of shared expenses incurred by Organovo in fiscal 2020.

The Cooperation Agreement and Advisory Nominees Proposal

Following the Special Meeting and the termination of the Merger Agreement, the Company’s Board continued to solicit stockholder feedback regarding the Company’s strategic alternatives and how to maximize stockholder value. In response to feedback from its largest stockholder regarding its desire for the Board to consider opportunities in the 3D bioprinting field and suggestion that the Board should speak with Keith Murphy, the Company’s founder, stockholder and former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, for potential business ideas, the Company’s Board initiated discussions with Mr. Murphy. Based on these discussions, the Company entered into a Cooperation Agreement with Mr. Murphy on July 14, 2020 (the “Cooperation Agreement”). Under the terms of the Cooperation Agreement, the Board appointed Mr. Murphy and Adam K. Stern to the Board as Class III directors, and two of the Company’s existing directors, Richard Maroun and David Shapiro, resigned from the Board and all Board committees. The Board also agreed to nominate, recommend, support and solicit proxies for the re-election of Messrs. Murphy and Stern at the Company’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “2020 Annual Meeting”). The Board also agreed to nominate, recommend, support and solicit proxies for an advisory stockholder vote (the “Advisory Nominees Proposal”) at the 2020 Annual Meeting to appoint three individuals, Douglas Jay Cohen, David Gobel and Alison Tjosvold Milhous (collectively, the “Advisory Nominees”), to the Board. Mr. Murphy identified each of the Advisory Nominees. If the final vote tabulation for the Advisory Nominees Proposal receives more votes cast “FOR” than “AGAINST” its approval, the Board has approved the appointment of the Advisory Nominees, to be automatically effective immediately following the final adjournment of the 2020 Annual Meeting. In addition, immediately following the appointment of the Advisory Nominees, each of our existing directors (other than Messrs. Murphy and Stern) will resign from the Board, which will result in Messrs. Murphy and Stern and the Advisory Nominees constituting the full membership of the Board (collectively, the “New Director Slate”).

Proposed Drug Discovery Business

The New Director Slate has advised the Company that if the Advisory Nominees Proposal is approved at the 2020 Annual Meeting, the New Director Slate intends to recommence operations and focus the Company’s efforts on developing highly customized human tissues as living, dynamic models of human biology and disease for use in drug discovery and development. The New Director Slate has advised the Company that it believes the Company’s proprietary technology can be used to build functional 3D human tissues that mimic key aspects of native human tissue composition, architecture, and function. The New Director Slate also believes the Company can utilize its proprietary technology to develop highly customized and dynamic models of human disease, including cell type-specific compartments, prevalent intercellular tight junctions, and microvascular structures. They believe these features can facilitate the Company’s development of complex, multicellular disease models for use in the development of targeted therapeutics for various diseases including, among others, intestine, kidney, skin and breast diseases. Market opportunities may include externally-partnered or internally-directed drug discovery and the clinical development of new molecular entities or repurposed drugs in-licensed from other pharmaceutical companies. The goal of the New Director Slate is for the Company to establish a pipeline of drug candidates in high-value disease areas, aiming to commence human clinical testing for at least one drug candidate within a three to four year timeframe.

If the Advisory Nominees Proposal is approved, the New Director Slate intends to restart the Company’s research operations by hiring a team of R&D professionals with the experience required to develop bioprinted and other 3D tissues for use in drug discovery, to leverage 3D models of disease to discover new drug candidates, and to develop new drug candidates for the initiation of clinical studies.

The New Director Slate has advised the Company that they expect our research and development staff to grow to seven to ten employees. They also expect to maintain or grow a general and administrative staff of three to five employees to support the Company’s operations and reporting requirements as a public company.

If the Advisory Nominees Proposal is approved, the New Director Slate has advised us that the Company expects to lease sufficient office and laboratory space to support its requirements. They expect that the Company will need space in the short term in the 3,000-7,000 sq. ft. range, with mixed office and laboratory space. They expect to lease a new facility in San Diego at prevailing market terms.

COVID-19

In December 2019 a respiratory illness caused by a novel strain of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, causing the Coronavirus Disease 2019, also known as COVID-19 or coronavirus emerged. While initially the outbreak was largely concentrated in China it has spread globally. Global health concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic have been weighing on the macroeconomic environment, and the pandemic has significantly increased economic volatility and uncertainty. The pandemic has resulted in government authorities implementing numerous measures to try to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders, and business shutdowns.

The extent to which the coronavirus impacts the Company’s operations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the duration of the outbreak and travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders, and business shutdowns. In particular, the continued coronavirus pandemic could adversely impact the Company’s operations, including among others, the timing and ability to pursue strategic alternatives, given the impact it may have on the manufacturing and supply chain, sales and marketing and clinical trial operations of potential strategic partners, and the ability, if we elect to do so, to advance our research and development activities and pursue development of any of our pipeline products, each of which could have an adverse impact on the Company’s business and financial results.