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Financing Arrangements (Details Textual) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Aug. 12, 2014 | Aug. 31, 2014 | Jul. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Additional final payment on borrowings (percent) |  |  |  |  |  | 6.00%lgnd_LineOfCreditFacilityAdditionalPaymentOnBorrowingsPercentage
Proceeds from issuance of debt | $ 0us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfDebt | $ 0us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfDebt | $ 7,500,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfDebt |  |  |
Equity component of convertible debt issuance, net of issuance costs | 51,271,000us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalEquityComponentOfConvertibleDebt |  |  |  |  |
Unamortized debt issuance costs | 3,388,000us-gaap_UnamortizedDebtIssuanceExpense | 0us-gaap_UnamortizedDebtIssuanceExpense |  |  |  |
Warrants to purchase number of shares |  |  |  |  | 3,264,643us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightNumberOfSecuritiesCalledByWarrantsOrRights |
Exercise price per share of convertible bond hedges |  |  |  |  | $ 75.05lgnd_ExercisePriceofConvertibleBondHedge |
Payments for Convertible Bond Hedges | 48,143,000lgnd_PaymentsforConvertibleBondHedges | 0lgnd_PaymentsforConvertibleBondHedges | 0lgnd_PaymentsforConvertibleBondHedges |  |  |
Exercise price per share of warrants |  |  |  |  | $ 125.08us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightExercisePriceOfWarrantsOrRights1 |
Sale of warrants | 11,638,000us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalWarrantIssued |  |  |  |  |
Current portion of notes payable ($334 and $0 related to a VIE, respectively | 334,000us-gaap_NotesPayableCurrent | 9,109,000us-gaap_NotesPayableCurrent |  |  |  |
Principal payments in 2019 | 245,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFive |  |  |  |  |
2019 Convertible Senior Notes |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Principal amount outstanding | 245,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember | 0us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |
Convertible Notes Payable |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Current portion of notes payable ($334 and $0 related to a VIE, respectively | 334,000us-gaap_NotesPayableCurrent / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = us-gaap_ConvertibleNotesPayableMember | 0us-gaap_NotesPayableCurrent / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = us-gaap_ConvertibleNotesPayableMember |  |  |  |
Senior Notes |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments for Convertible Bond Hedges | 48,100,000lgnd_PaymentsforConvertibleBondHedges / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |
Senior Notes | 2019 Convertible Senior Notes |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest on debt instrument (percent) |  |  |  |  | 0.75%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |
Principal amount outstanding | 245,000,000.0us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  | 245,000,000.0us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |
Convertible debt conversion ratio |  |  |  |  | 0.0133251us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionRatio1 / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |
Net proceeds from debt issuance |  |  |  |  | 239,300,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromDebtNetOfIssuanceCosts / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |
Debt conversion price per share | $ 75.05us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionPrice1 / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  | $ 75.05us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionPrice1 / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |
Debt conversion premium (percent) |  |  |  | 35.00%lgnd_DebtInstrumentPremiumPercentageofConversionPrice / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |
Proceeds from issuance of debt | 245,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfDebt / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |
Discount rate (percent) | 5.83%us-gaap_FairValueInputsDiscountRate / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |
Convertible debt, noncurrent | 192,500,000us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtNoncurrent / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |
Debt issuance cost | 5,700,000us-gaap_DebtIssuanceCosts / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |
Equity component of convertible debt issuance, net of issuance costs | 1,200,000us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalEquityComponentOfConvertibleDebt / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |
Unamortized debt issuance costs | 4,500,000us-gaap_UnamortizedDebtIssuanceExpense / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |
Term of debt (duration) | 5 years |  |  |  |  |
Carrying value of equity component | $ 51,300,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleCarryingAmountOfTheEquityComponent / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |
Senior Notes | 2019 Convertible Senior Notes | Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period One |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of trading days | 20us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleThresholdTradingDays / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodAxis = us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodOneMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |
Number of consecutive trading days | 30 days |  |  |  |  |
Stock price trigger threshold (percent) | 130.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleThresholdPercentageOfStockPriceTrigger / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodAxis = us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodOneMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |
Senior Notes | 2019 Convertible Senior Notes | Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Two |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of trading days | 5us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleThresholdTradingDays / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodAxis = us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodTwoMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |
Number of consecutive trading days | 10 days |  |  |  |  |
Debt threshold trigger price (percent) | 98.00%lgnd_DebtInstrumentConvertibleMaximumThresholdPercentageofDebtTradingPriceTrigger / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodAxis = us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodTwoMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |
Common Stock |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Price per share of stock |  |  |  | 55.59us-gaap_SharePrice / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_CommonStockMember |  |

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