Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Stockholders' Equity - Additional Information (Detail)

v2.4.1.9
Stockholders' Equity - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 17, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 16, 2014
Dec. 05, 2014
Schedule Of Stockholders Equity [Line Items]            
Common stock, shares authorized 300,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesAuthorized   300,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesAuthorized 300,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesAuthorized    
Common stock, par value $ 0.001us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare   0.001us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare $ 0.001us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare    
Common stock, shares issued 29,279,522us-gaap_CommonStockSharesIssued   11,828,974us-gaap_CommonStockSharesIssued 29,279,522us-gaap_CommonStockSharesIssued    
Common stock, outstanding 29,279,522us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding   11,828,974us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding 29,279,522us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding   13,863,647us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding
Preferred stock, shares authorized 10,000,000us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesAuthorized   10,000,000us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesAuthorized 10,000,000us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesAuthorized 10,000,000us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesAuthorized  
Preferred stock, par value $ 0.001us-gaap_PreferredStockParOrStatedValuePerShare   0.001us-gaap_PreferredStockParOrStatedValuePerShare $ 0.001us-gaap_PreferredStockParOrStatedValuePerShare $ 0.001us-gaap_PreferredStockParOrStatedValuePerShare  
Preferred stock issued 0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesIssued   0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesIssued 0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesIssued    
Preferred stock, shares outstanding 0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding   0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding 0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding    
Aggregate cash proceeds from issuance of shares $ 7,342,077us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfPreferredStockAndPreferenceStock          
Shares issued under options plan 2,519,500us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodGross          
Common stock 29,280us-gaap_CommonStockValue   11,829us-gaap_CommonStockValue 29,280us-gaap_CommonStockValue    
Exercise price of warrants $ 2.00us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightExercisePriceOfWarrantsOrRights1 2us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightExercisePriceOfWarrantsOrRights1   $ 2.00us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightExercisePriceOfWarrantsOrRights1    
Investors preference description The Securities Purchase Agreement also contains certain anti-dilution provisions. Those anti-dilution provisions provide that if the Company issue and sell equity securities or equity-linked or related securities at a purchase price per share of lower than $2.00 within the 180-day period following December 17, 2014, each Investor in the Private Placement shall be entitled to receive such number of additional shares of the Company's common stock as they would have received had such lower purchase price per share been applicable in the Private Placement.          
2014 Incentive Plan [Member]            
Schedule Of Stockholders Equity [Line Items]            
Common stock reserved for issuance   3,200,000us-gaap_CommonStockCapitalSharesReservedForFutureIssuance
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= pirs_TwoThousandFourteenIncentivePlanMember
       
Shares issued under options plan   2,519,500us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodGross
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= pirs_TwoThousandFourteenIncentivePlanMember
       
Common stock available for grant   680,500us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= pirs_TwoThousandFourteenIncentivePlanMember
       
Private Placement [Member]            
Schedule Of Stockholders Equity [Line Items]            
Stock issued   6,779,510us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesNewIssues
/ us-gaap_SubsidiarySaleOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_PrivatePlacementMember
       
Sales of common stock, price per share   2.00us-gaap_SaleOfStockPricePerShare
/ us-gaap_SubsidiarySaleOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_PrivatePlacementMember
       
Proceeds from sale of stock   13,600,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOrSaleOfEquity
/ us-gaap_SubsidiarySaleOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_PrivatePlacementMember
       
Proceeds from sale of stock   12,000,000pirs_NetProceedsFromIssuanceOrSaleOfEquity
/ us-gaap_SubsidiarySaleOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_PrivatePlacementMember
       
Post Acquisition [Member]            
Schedule Of Stockholders Equity [Line Items]            
Common stock, shares issued 29,279,522us-gaap_CommonStockSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= pirs_PostAcquisitionMember
    29,279,522us-gaap_CommonStockSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= pirs_PostAcquisitionMember
   
Common stock, outstanding 29,279,522us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= pirs_PostAcquisitionMember
    29,279,522us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= pirs_PostAcquisitionMember
   
Common stock 29,280us-gaap_CommonStockValue
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= pirs_PostAcquisitionMember
    29,280us-gaap_CommonStockValue
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= pirs_PostAcquisitionMember
   
Common Stock [Member]            
Schedule Of Stockholders Equity [Line Items]            
Aggregate shares issued upon acquisition   542,360us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionEquityInterestsIssuedOrIssuableNumberOfSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
       
Stock issued 6,779,510us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesNewIssues
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
         
Marika Inc. [Member]            
Schedule Of Stockholders Equity [Line Items]            
Common stock, outstanding   2,500,012us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= pirs_MarikaIncMember
       
Pieris AG [Member]            
Schedule Of Stockholders Equity [Line Items]            
Common stock, outstanding   20,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= pirs_PierisAgMember
       
Aggregate shares issued upon acquisition   20,000,000us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionEquityInterestsIssuedOrIssuableNumberOfSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= pirs_PierisAgMember
11,828,974us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionEquityInterestsIssuedOrIssuableNumberOfSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= pirs_PierisAgMember
     
Series C Preferred Stock [Member]            
Schedule Of Stockholders Equity [Line Items]            
Preferred stock issued 5,662,167us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesCPreferredStockMember
10,671,037us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesCPreferredStockMember
  5,662,167us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesCPreferredStockMember
   
Aggregate cash proceeds from issuance of shares       7,442,897us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfPreferredStockAndPreferenceStock
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesCPreferredStockMember
   
Convertible stockholder loans, including accrued interest       $ 4,380,906us-gaap_DebtConversionOriginalDebtAmount1
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesCPreferredStockMember
   
Converted series c preferred shares       5,008,870us-gaap_DebtConversionConvertedInstrumentSharesIssued1
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesCPreferredStockMember