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Stockholders' Equity (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2018
Stockholders' Equity [Abstract] |
Stock Option Activity | The following table summarizes the stock option activity under our stock plans for the year ended December 31, 2018 (in thousands, except per share and contractual life data):
|  | Number of Shares |  |  | Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Share |  |  | Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years) |  |  | Aggregate Intrinsic Value |
Outstanding at December 31, 2017 |  |  | 9,397 |  |  | $ | 44.52 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Granted |  |  | 3,518 |  |  | $ | 48.40 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Exercised |  |  | (1,064 | ) |  | $ | 17.78 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cancelled/forfeited/expired |  |  | (540 | ) |  | $ | 52.47 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Outstanding at December 31, 2018 |  |  | 11,311 |  |  | $ | 47.85 |  |  |  | 4.41 |  |  | $ | 93,663 |
Exercisable at December 31, 2018 |  |  | 6,071 |  |  | $ | 46.83 |  |  |  | 3.22 |  |  | $ | 63,756 |
RSU Activity | The following table summarizes the RSU activity for the year ended December 31, 2018 (in thousands, except per share data):
|  | Number of Shares |  |  | Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share |
Non-vested at December 31, 2017 |  |  | 863 |  |  | $ | 49.55 |
Granted |  |  | 789 |  |  | $ | 51.06 |
Vested |  |  | (324 | ) |  | $ | 50.21 |
Cancelled/forfeited |  |  | (82 | ) |  | $ | 51.59 |
Non-vested at December 31, 2018 |  |  | 1,246 |  |  | $ | 50.20 |
Stock-Based Compensation Expense | The following table summarizes stock-based compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands), which was allocated as follows and includes $44.3 million, $17.5 million and $10.1 million of stock-based compensation expense for Akcea employees in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively:
|  | Year Ended December 31, |
|  | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Cost of products sold |  | $ | 160 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |
Research, development and patent |  |  | 76,557 |  |  |  | 64,521 |  |  |  | 55,099 |
Selling, general and administrative |  |  | 54,595 |  |  |  | 21,454 |  |  |  | 17,009 |
Total |  | $ | 131,312 |  |  | $ | 85,975 |  |  | $ | 72,108 |
Stockholders' Equity [Abstract] |
Weighted-Average Assumptions for Stock Options | For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, we used the following weighted-average assumptions in our Black-Scholes calculations: Employee Stock Options:
|  | December 31, |
|  | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Risk-free interest rate |  |  | 2.4 | % |  |  | 1.8 | % |  |  | 1.5 | %
Dividend yield |  |  | 0.0 | % |  |  | 0.0 | % |  |  | 0.0 | %
Volatility |  |  | 63.0 | % |  |  | 65.9 | % |  |  | 58.7 | %
Expected life |  | 4.6 years |  |  | 4.5 years |  |  | 4.5 years |
Board of Director Stock Options:
|  | December 31, |
|  | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Risk-free interest rate |  |  | 2.8 | % |  |  | 2.2 | % |  |  | 1.3 | %
Dividend yield |  |  | 0.0 | % |  |  | 0.0 | % |  |  | 0.0 | %
Volatility |  |  | 61.5 | % |  |  | 61.2 | % |  |  | 53.1 | %
Expected life |  | 6.6 years |  |  | 6.6 years |  |  | 6.5 years |
Weighted-Average Assumptions for ESPP | ESPP:
|  | December 31, |
|  | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Risk-free interest rate |  |  | 1.8 | % |  |  | 0.8 | % |  |  | 0.4 | %
Dividend yield |  |  | 0.0 | % |  |  | 0.0 | % |  |  | 0.0 | %
Volatility |  |  | 47.3 | % |  |  | 59.9 | % |  |  | 86.4 | %
Expected life |  | 6 months |  |  | 6 months |  |  | 6 months |
Akcea [Member] |
Stockholders' Equity [Abstract] |
Weighted-Average Assumptions for Stock Options | In addition to our stock plans, Akcea has its own stock plan under which it grants options and RSUs and under which it derives its stock-based compensation expense. The following are the weighted-average Black-Scholes assumptions Akcea used under its plan for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016: Employee Stock Options:
|  | December 31, |
|  | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Risk-free interest rate |  |  | 2.8 | % |  |  | 1.9 | % |  |  | 1.6 | %
Dividend yield |  |  | 0.0 | % |  |  | 0.0 | % |  |  | 0.0 | %
Volatility |  |  | 77.1 | % |  |  | 79.5 | % |  |  | 71.4 | %
Expected life |  | 6.08 years |  |  | 6.06 years |  |  | 6.08 years |
Board of Director Stock Options:
|  | December 31, |
|  | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Risk-free interest rate |  |  | 2.9 | % |  |  | 1.9 | % |  |  | 2.0 | %
Dividend yield |  |  | 0.0 | % |  |  | 0.0 | % |  |  | 0.0 | %
Volatility |  |  | 78.2 | % |  |  | 79.4 | % |  |  | 79.6 | %
Expected life |  | 6.42 years |  |  | 6.25 years |  |  | 6.08 years |

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