Molecular Templates, Inc. Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Research and Development Agreements - Additional Information (Detail)

Research and Development Agreements - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)				1 Months Ended					3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	83 Months Ended
	Sep. 18, 2018	Aug. 31, 2017	Jun. 23, 2017	Oct. 31, 2018	Jul. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2016	Nov. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Oct. 31, 2016
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Revenue remaining performance obligations not yet satisfied									$ 33,600,000		$ 33,600,000			$ 33,600,000
Receivables from Customers									31,400,000		31,400,000		$ 0	31,400,000
Research and development revenue									2,031,000	$ 648,000	3,206,000	$ 2,408,000
Total revenue									6,752,000		8,601,000
Deferred revenue									33,400,000		33,400,000		2,765,000	33,400,000
Grant
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Revenue from grant									4,700,000	0	5,400,000	167,000
CPRIT Agreement \| Grant
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Cancer research grant contract award	$ 15,200,000
Takeda Pharmaceuticals Inc
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Accounts receivable									31,200,000		31,200,000			31,200,000
Aggregate Purchase Price			$ 20,000,000
Takeda Development Agreement
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Commercial milestone payment											150,000,000
Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas \| Grant Agreements \| ETB MT-3724
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Product development grant awarded								$ 10,600,000
Aggregate proceeds received from award granted														9,500,000
Takeda Individual Project Agreement
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Cumulative catch-up adjustment to revenue									180,000		180,000
Takeda Individual Project Agreement \| Takeda Pharmaceuticals Inc
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Additional research and development revenue entitled to potentially receive						$ 2,200,000
Increase in transaction consideration related to research services					$ 1,100,000
Research and development revenue									1,200,000	0	1,900,000	0
Accounts receivable									1,200,000		1,200,000			1,200,000
Takeda Collaboration Agreement \| Takeda Pharmaceuticals Inc
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Payment for technology access fees and cost reimbursement															$ 2,000,000
Research and development revenue									0	648,000	92,000	1,900,000
Takeda Development Agreement
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Research and development revenue									0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable									30,000,000		30,000,000			30,000,000
Total transaction price											29,300,000
Upfront payment											30,000,000
Milestone payment received											10,000,000
Expected co share payment receivable									10,700,000		10,700,000			10,700,000
Total revenue									253,000		253,000
Deferred revenue									28,800,000		28,800,000			28,800,000
Takeda Development Agreement \| Clinical Development and Regulatory Milestones
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Milestone payments receivable if option is exercised											307,500,000
Milestone payments receivable if option is not exercised											162,500,000
Takeda Development Agreement \| Sales Milestone
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Milestone payments receivable if option is exercised											325,000,000
Milestone payments receivable if option is not exercised											175,000,000
Takeda Development Agreement \| Subsequent Event
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Upfront payment received				$ 30,000,000
Takeda Multi Target Agreement \| Takeda Pharmaceuticals Inc
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Research and development revenue									415,000	0	755,000	0
Upfront payment received											1,000,000
Additional contingent milestone payments upon designation of each of two targets									2,000,000		2,000,000			2,000,000
Accounts received from Takeda											5,000,000		$ 5,000,000
Aggregate milestone payments upon exercise of option to license ETBS									25,000,000		25,000,000			25,000,000
Additional preclinical, clinical development and commercialization milestone payments entitled to potentially receive									397,000,000		397,000,000			397,000,000
Contractual contingency fees											10,000,000
Proceeds from signing of stock purchase agreement										20,000,000
Aggregate Purchase Price		$ 20,000,000
Other Collaboration Agreements
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Research and development revenue									117,000	$ 0	196,000	$ 500,000
Other Collaboration Agreements \| ETBs
Research And Development Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Research and development revenue							$ 500,000
Contingent milestone payment upon delivery and acceptance of additional ETB materials									$ 250,000		$ 250,000			$ 250,000