Intellectual Property and Collaborative Agreements	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Intellectual Property and Collaborative Agreements	Note 7 — Intellectual Property and Collaborative Agreements Novosom Agreements In July 2010, Marina entered into an agreement pursuant to which Marina acquired intellectual property for Novosom’s SMARTICLES-based liposomal delivery system. In February 2016, Marina issued Novosom 0.21 million shares of common stock valued at $0.06 million. In March 2016, Marina entered into a license agreement covering certain of Marina’s platforms for the delivery of an undisclosed genome editing technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Marina received an upfront license fee of $0.25 million and could receive up to $40 million in success-based milestones. In April 2016, Marina issued Novosom 0.47 million shares of common stock valued at $0.075 million for amounts due under this agreement. In July 2016, Marina entered into a license agreement with an undisclosed licensee that grants such licensee rights to use Marina’s technology and intellectual property to develop and commercialize products combining certain molecules with Marina’s liposomal delivery technology known as NOV582. Under the terms of this agreement, the licensee agreed to pay to us an upfront license fee in the amount of $0.35 million (to be paid in installments through the end of 2017), along with milestone payments on a per-licensed-product basis and royalty payments in the low single digit percentages. As of September 30, 2016, Marina had received $0.05 million per the terms of this license agreement. In November 2016, we issued 0.12 million shares with a value of $0.015 million to Novosom as the equity component owed under Marina’s July 2016 license agreement. Arrangements with LipoMedics On February 6, 2017, we entered into a License Agreement (the “License Agreement”) with LipoMedics, Inc., a related party (“LipoMedics”), pursuant to which, among other things, we provided to LipoMedics a license to our SMARTICLES platform for further development of Lipomedics’s proprietary phospholipid nanoparticles that can deliver protein, small molecule drugs, and peptides. These are not currently being developed at Marina Biotech and Marina Biotech has no IP around these products. On the same date, we also entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement with LipoMedics pursuant to which we issued to LipoMedics an aggregate of 862,068 shares of our common stock for a total purchase price of $250,000. Under the terms of the License Agreement, we could receive up to $90 million in success-based milestones based on commercial sales of licensed products. In addition, if LipoMedics determines to pursue further development and commercialization of products under the License Agreement, LipoMedics agreed, in connection therewith, to purchase shares of our common stock for an aggregate purchase price of $500,000, with the purchase price for each share of common stock being the greater of $0.29 or the volume weighted average price of our common stock for the thirty (30) trading days immediately preceding the date on which LipoMedics notifies us that it intends to pursue further development or commercialization of a licensed product. If LipoMedics breaches the License Agreement, we shall have the right to terminate the License Agreement effective sixty (60) days following delivery of written notice to LipoMedics specifying the breach, if LipoMedics fails to cure such material breach within such sixty (60) day period. LipoMedics may terminate the License Agreement by giving thirty (30) days’ prior written notice to us. Vuong Trieu, Ph.D., the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”), is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Operating Officer of LipoMedics. In consideration Lipomedics agreed to the following fee schedule: 1) Evaluations License Fee. Simultaneous with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, Lipomedics shall enter into a Stock Purchase Agreement in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Marina and Lipomedics, pursuant to which Marina will sell to Lipomedics shares of the common stock of Marina for an aggregate purchase price of $250,000, with the purchase price for each share of Marina common stock being $0.29. 2) Commercial License Fee. Unless this Agreement is earlier terminated, within thirty (30) days following Lipomedics’s delivery of an Evaluation Notice advising that it intends to pursue, or cause to be pursued, further development and commercialization of Licensed Products. 3) For up to and including three Licensed Products, Lipomedics shall pay to Marina a milestone (collectively the “Sales Milestones”) of Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000) upon reaching Commercial Sales in the Territory in any given twelve month period equal to or greater than Five Hundred Million Dollars ($500,000,000) for a given Licensed Product and of Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000) upon reaching Commercial Sales in any given twelve month period equal to or greater than One Billion Dollars ($1,000,000,000) for such Licensed Product, such payments to be made within thirty (30) days following the month in which such Commercial Sale targets are met.	Note 9 — Intellectual Property and Collaborative Agreements In July 2010, Marina entered into an agreement pursuant to which Marina acquired intellectual property for Novosom’s SMARTICLES-based liposomal delivery system. In February 2016, Marina issued Novosom 0.21 million shares of common stock valued at $0.06 million. In March 2016, Marina entered into a license agreement covering certain of Marina’s platforms for the delivery of an undisclosed genome editing technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Marina received an upfront license fee of $0.25 million and could receive up to $40 million in success-based milestones. In April 2016, Marina issued Novosom 0.47 million shares of common stock valued at $0.075 million for amounts due under this agreement. In July 2016, Marina entered into a license agreement with an undisclosed licensee that grants such licensee rights to use Marina’s technology and intellectual property to develop and commercialize products combining certain molecules with Marina’s liposomal delivery technology known as NOV582. Under the terms of this agreement, the licensee agreed to pay to us an upfront license fee in the amount of $0.35 million (to be paid in installments through the end of 2017), along with milestone payments on a per-licensed-product basis and royalty payments in the low single digit percentages. As of September 30, 2016, Marina had received $0.05 million per the terms of this license agreement. In November 2016, we issued 0.12 million shares with a value of $0.015 million to Novosom as the equity component owed under Marina’s July 2016 license agreement.

Intellectual Property and Collaborative Agreements

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

Dec. 31, 2016

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Intellectual Property and Collaborative Agreements

Note 7 — Intellectual Property and Collaborative Agreements

Novosom Agreements

In July 2010, Marina entered into an agreement pursuant to which Marina acquired intellectual property for Novosom’s SMARTICLES-based liposomal delivery system. In February 2016, Marina issued Novosom 0.21 million shares of common stock valued at $0.06 million.

In March 2016, Marina entered into a license agreement covering certain of Marina’s platforms for the delivery of an undisclosed genome editing technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Marina received an upfront license fee of $0.25 million and could receive up to $40 million in success-based milestones. In April 2016, Marina issued Novosom 0.47 million shares of common stock valued at $0.075 million for amounts due under this agreement.

In July 2016, Marina entered into a license agreement with an undisclosed licensee that grants such licensee rights to use Marina’s technology and intellectual property to develop and commercialize products combining certain molecules with Marina’s liposomal delivery technology known as NOV582. Under the terms of this agreement, the licensee agreed to pay to us an upfront license fee in the amount of $0.35 million (to be paid in installments through the end of 2017), along with milestone payments on a per-licensed-product basis and royalty payments in the low single digit percentages. As of September 30, 2016, Marina had received $0.05 million per the terms of this license agreement. In November 2016, we issued 0.12 million shares with a value of $0.015 million to Novosom as the equity component owed under Marina’s July 2016 license agreement.

Arrangements with LipoMedics

On February 6, 2017, we entered into a License Agreement (the “License Agreement”) with LipoMedics, Inc., a related party (“LipoMedics”), pursuant to which, among other things, we provided to LipoMedics a license to our SMARTICLES platform for further development of Lipomedics’s proprietary phospholipid nanoparticles that can deliver protein, small molecule drugs, and peptides. These are not currently being developed at Marina Biotech and Marina Biotech has no IP around these products. On the same date, we also entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement with LipoMedics pursuant to which we issued to LipoMedics an aggregate of 862,068 shares of our common stock for a total purchase price of $250,000.

Under the terms of the License Agreement, we could receive up to $90 million in success-based milestones based on commercial sales of licensed products. In addition, if LipoMedics determines to pursue further development and commercialization of products under the License Agreement, LipoMedics agreed, in connection therewith, to purchase shares of our common stock for an aggregate purchase price of $500,000, with the purchase price for each share of common stock being the greater of $0.29 or the volume weighted average price of our common stock for the thirty (30) trading days immediately preceding the date on which LipoMedics notifies us that it intends to pursue further development or commercialization of a licensed product.

If LipoMedics breaches the License Agreement, we shall have the right to terminate the License Agreement effective sixty (60) days following delivery of written notice to LipoMedics specifying the breach, if LipoMedics fails to cure such material breach within such sixty (60) day period. LipoMedics may terminate the License Agreement by giving thirty (30) days’ prior written notice to us.

Vuong Trieu, Ph.D., the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”), is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Operating Officer of LipoMedics.

In consideration Lipomedics agreed to the following fee schedule: 1) Evaluations License Fee. Simultaneous with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, Lipomedics shall enter into a Stock Purchase Agreement in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Marina and Lipomedics, pursuant to which Marina will sell to Lipomedics shares of the common stock of Marina for an aggregate purchase price of $250,000, with the purchase price for each share of Marina common stock being $0.29. 2) Commercial License Fee. Unless this Agreement is earlier terminated, within thirty (30) days following Lipomedics’s delivery of an Evaluation Notice advising that it intends to pursue, or cause to be pursued, further development and commercialization of Licensed Products. 3) For up to and including three Licensed Products, Lipomedics shall pay to Marina a milestone (collectively the “Sales Milestones”) of Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000) upon reaching Commercial Sales in the Territory in any given twelve month period equal to or greater than Five Hundred Million Dollars ($500,000,000) for a given Licensed Product and of Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000) upon reaching Commercial Sales in any given twelve month period equal to or greater than One Billion Dollars ($1,000,000,000) for such Licensed Product, such payments to be made within thirty (30) days following the month in which such Commercial Sale targets are met.

Note 9 — Intellectual Property and Collaborative Agreements