License Agreements	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Research And Development [Abstract]
License Agreements	Note 10. License Agreements In January 2020, the Company entered into an exclusive license agreement with Pfizer Inc. (“Pfizer”) for Pfizer’s clinical and nonclinical data, and intellectual property for reboxetine, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in AXS-12 which the Company is developing for the treatment of narcolepsy. The agreement also provides the Company exclusive rights to develop and commercialize esreboxetine, a new late-stage product candidate now referred to as AXS-14, in the U.S. for the treatment of fibromyalgia. Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer received 82,019 shares of the Company’s common stock having a stated value of $8.0 million, based on the average closing price of the Company’s common stock for the ten prior trading days of $97.538, in consideration for the license and rights and also received an upfront cash payment of $3.0 million. The Company determined that the fair value of each share of common stock granted to Pfizer on the closing date of January 9, 2020 was $87.24, based on the closing price of the Company’s stock on that date. As a result, the fair value of the stock issued was $7.2 million and therefore, the total research and development expense recognized was $10.2 million related to the Pfizer license agreement during the twelve months ended December 31, 2020. Pfizer can also receive up to $323 million in regulatory and sales milestones, and tiered mid-single to low double-digit royalties on future sales. Pfizer will also have a right of first negotiation on any potential future strategic transactions involving AXS-12 and AXS-14. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, no milestone payments or royalties were paid to Pfizer by the Company. In 2012, the Company entered into three exclusive license agreements with Antecip Bioventures II LLC, or Antecip, an entity owned by Axsome’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Herriot Tabuteau, M.D., in which it was granted exclusive licenses to develop, manufacture, and commercialize Antecip’s patents and applications related to the development of AXS‑05 and two product candidate that are not currently in development, anywhere in the world for veterinary and human therapeutic and diagnostic use. Pursuant to the agreements, the Company is required to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize AXS‑05. Under the terms of the agreements, the Company is required to pay to Antecip a royalty equal to 3.0% for AXS‑05, of net sales of products containing the licensed technology by the Company, its affiliates, or permitted sublicensees. These royalty payments are subject to reduction by an amount up to 50.0% of any required payments to third parties. Unless earlier terminated by a party for cause or by the Company for convenience, the agreements shall remain in effect on a product‑by‑product and country‑by‑country basis until the later to occur of (i) the applicable product is no longer covered by a valid claim in that country or (ii) 10 years from the first commercial sale of the applicable product in that country. Upon expiration of the agreements with respect to a product in a country, the Company’s license grant for that product in that country will become a fully paid‑up, royalty‑free, perpetual non‑exclusive license. If Antecip terminates any of the agreements for cause, or if the Company exercises its right to terminate any of the agreements for convenience, the rights granted to the Company under such terminated agreement will revert to Antecip. To date, the Company has not been required to make any payments to Antecip under any of the license agreements. In connection with the 2020 Term Loan, the Company entered into a Direct Agreement with Antecip pursuant to which Antecip consented to the collateral assignment of the License Agreement to Hercules, among other things.

License Agreements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Note 10. License Agreements

In January 2020, the Company entered into an exclusive license agreement with Pfizer Inc. (“Pfizer”) for Pfizer’s clinical and nonclinical data, and intellectual property for reboxetine, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in AXS-12 which the Company is developing for the treatment of narcolepsy. The agreement also provides the Company exclusive rights to develop and commercialize esreboxetine, a new late-stage product candidate now referred to as AXS-14, in the U.S. for the treatment of fibromyalgia.

Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer received 82,019 shares of the Company’s common stock having a stated value of $8.0 million, based on the average closing price of the Company’s common stock for the ten prior trading days of $97.538, in consideration for the license and rights and also received an upfront cash payment of $3.0 million. The Company determined that the fair value of each share of common stock granted to Pfizer on the closing date of January 9, 2020 was $87.24, based on the closing price of the Company’s stock on that date. As a result, the fair value of the stock issued was $7.2 million and therefore, the total research and development expense recognized was $10.2 million related to the Pfizer license agreement during the twelve months ended December 31, 2020.

Pfizer can also receive up to $323 million in regulatory and sales milestones, and tiered mid-single to low double-digit royalties on future sales. Pfizer will also have a right of first negotiation on any potential future strategic transactions involving AXS-12 and AXS-14. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, no milestone payments or royalties were paid to Pfizer by the Company.

In 2012, the Company entered into three exclusive license agreements with Antecip Bioventures II LLC, or Antecip, an entity owned by Axsome’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Herriot Tabuteau, M.D., in which it was granted exclusive licenses to develop, manufacture, and commercialize Antecip’s patents and applications related to the development of AXS‑05 and two product candidate that are not currently in development, anywhere in the world for veterinary and human therapeutic and diagnostic use. Pursuant to the agreements, the Company is required to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize AXS‑05. Under the terms of the agreements, the Company is required to pay to Antecip a royalty equal to 3.0% for AXS‑05, of net sales of products containing the licensed technology by the Company, its affiliates, or permitted sublicensees. These royalty payments are subject to reduction by an amount up to 50.0% of any required payments to third parties. Unless earlier terminated by a party for cause or by the Company for convenience, the agreements shall remain in effect on a product‑by‑product and country‑by‑country basis until the later to occur of (i) the applicable product is no longer covered by a valid claim in that country or (ii) 10 years from the first commercial sale of the applicable product in that country. Upon expiration of the agreements with respect to a product in a country, the Company’s license grant for that product in that country will become a fully paid‑up, royalty‑free, perpetual non‑exclusive license. If Antecip terminates any of the agreements for cause, or if the Company exercises its right to terminate any of the agreements for convenience, the rights granted to the Company under such terminated agreement will revert to Antecip. To date, the Company has not been required to make any payments to Antecip under any of the license agreements.

In connection with the 2020 Term Loan, the Company entered into a Direct Agreement with Antecip pursuant to which Antecip consented to the collateral assignment of the License Agreement to Hercules, among other things.