Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Cover
- Document and Entity Information
Financial Statements
Notes to Financial Statements
Accounting Policies
- Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
Notes Tables
Notes Details

License Agreements (Details)

v3.7.0.1

License Agreements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
License Agreements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 22, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2013
Lilly \| CERC-611
Research and Development Arrangement, Contract to Perform for Others [Line Items]
Initial license acquisition payments	$ 2,000
Upfront payment due within 30 days	$ 750
Term within execution of license agreement	30 days
Upfront payment due after first subject dosed	$ 1,250
Lilly \| CERC-501
Research and Development Arrangement, Contract to Perform for Others [Line Items]
Term within execution of license agreement		30 days
Additional payments		$ 250
Term of the study		9 months
Lilly \| CERC-501 \| Research and development
Research and Development Arrangement, Contract to Perform for Others [Line Items]
Initial license acquisition payments		$ 750
Merck \| CERC-301
Research and Development Arrangement, Contract to Perform for Others [Line Items]
Total initial payments			$ 1,500
Additional payments			750
Merck \| CERC-301 \| Research and development
Research and Development Arrangement, Contract to Perform for Others [Line Items]
Initial license acquisition payments			750
Merck \| COMT
Research and Development Arrangement, Contract to Perform for Others [Line Items]
Initial license acquisition payments			$ 200

- Definition

Potential Milestone Commitment Due After First Subject Closed

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cerc_PotentialMilestoneCommitmentDueAfterFirstSubjectClosed
Namespace Prefix:	cerc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of upfront payment due within 30 days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cerc_PotentialMilestonecommitmentDueWithin30Days
Namespace Prefix:	cerc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period of time over which the study is conducted.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cerc_TermOfStudy
Namespace Prefix:	cerc_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents period within execution of license agreement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cerc_TimePeriodWithinExecutionOfLicenseAgremment
Namespace Prefix:	cerc_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The total amount that the entity may be liable to pay for the license agreement, including amounts paid at inception and amounts contingent on achievement of milestones.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cerc_TotalCostOfLicenseAgreement
Namespace Prefix:	cerc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Minimum amount of other commitment not otherwise specified in the taxonomy. Excludes commitments explicitly modeled in the taxonomy, including but not limited to, long-term and short-term purchase commitments, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, supply commitments, registration payment arrangements, leases, debt, product warranties, guarantees, environmental remediation obligations, and pensions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The cash outflow to acquire asset without physical form usually arising from contractual or other legal rights, excluding goodwill.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3213-108585

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Investing Activities
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6516133

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireIntangibleAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis=cerc_ElilillyAndCompanyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentArrangementContractToPerformForOthersByTypeAxis=cerc_LicenceAgreementToDevelopTransmembraneAmpaReceptorRegulatoryProteinsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentArrangementContractToPerformForOthersByTypeAxis=us-gaap_LicenseAgreementTermsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpenseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis=cerc_MerckAsCounterpartyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentArrangementContractToPerformForOthersByTypeAxis=cerc_LicenseAgreementToDevelopCertainSmallMoleculeCompoundsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentArrangementContractToPerformForOthersByTypeAxis=cerc_LicenseAgreementToDevelopComtInhibitorCompoundMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: