Collaboration Agreements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Collaborative Agreements
License fee expense	$ 0.1	$ 0.1	$ 0.2
Yale \| License agreement with Yale
Collaborative Agreements
Potential milestone payment	$ 3.0

For contingent consideration arrangements recognized in connection with a business combination, this element represents an estimate of the high-end of the potential range (undiscounted) of the consideration which may be paid.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126975305&loc=d3e6927-128479

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsRangeOfOutcomesValueHigh
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

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

- Definition

The aggregate costs related to goods produced and sold and services rendered by an entity during the reporting period. This excludes costs incurred during the reporting period related to financial services rendered and other revenue generating activities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 924
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 11.L)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6472922&loc=d3e499488-122856

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.2(a),(d))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126953954&loc=SL114868664-224227

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=cldx_YaleUniversityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis=cldx_LicenseAgreementWithYaleMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: