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Basis of Presentation (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) Share data in Millions, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |  |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2015 segment storage_location drug | Mar. 31, 2014 | Apr. 30, 2013 program | Jan. 31, 2012 | Jan. 31, 2010 right | Dec. 31, 2013 customer | Dec. 31, 2014 | Apr. 30, 2014 | Jan. 31, 2011 | Aug. 31, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net income | $ 754,000 us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss | $ 2,097,000 us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accumulated deficit | 658,561,000 us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit |  |  |  |  |  | 659,315,000 us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit |  |  |
Working capital | 173,600,000 lgnd_WorkingCapital |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Earnings (Loss) Per Share |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Common shares excluded from computation | 4.5 us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount | 1.0 us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maturity period of cash and cash equivalents, maximum | 3 months |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maturity period of short term investments, minimum | 3 months |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Concentrations of Credit Risk |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash deposits | 107,300,000 lgnd_CashDepositsInExcessOfFdicInsuredAmount |  |  |  |  |  | 91,700,000 lgnd_CashDepositsInExcessOfFdicInsuredAmount |  |  |
Product Shelf Life | 5 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of Storage Locations | 3 us-gaap_NumberOfStores |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts receivable outstanding considered past due after period, minimum | 30 days |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts receivable outstanding considered past due after period, maximum | 90 days |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Allowance for doubtful accounts | 0 us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable |  |  |  |  |  | 0 us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable |  |  |
Property and Equipment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Depreciation | 100,000 us-gaap_Depreciation | 100,000 us-gaap_Depreciation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill and Other Identifiable Intangible Assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Finite-lived intangible asset, useful life | 20 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amortization expense | 600,000 us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets | 600,000 us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amortization Expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amortization expense 2015 | 2,400,000 us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseRemainderOfFiscalYear |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amortization expense 2016 | 2,400,000 us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearTwo |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amortization expense 2017 | 2,400,000 us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearThree |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amortization expense 2018 | 2,400,000 us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearFour |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amortization expense 2019 | 2,400,000 us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearFive |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue Recognition |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Period allowed for return of products, minimum | 30 days |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Period allowed for return of products, maximum | 90 days |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Restocking fee (percent) | 20.00%lgnd_SalesReturnsRestockingFeePercent |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Discontinued Operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of drugs included in product line | 4 lgnd_NumberOfDrugsIncludedInProductLine |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of reportable segments | 2 us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets | 263,223,000 us-gaap_Assets |  |  |  |  |  | 258,029,000 us-gaap_Assets |  |  |
Liabilities | 230,828,000 us-gaap_Liabilities |  |  |  |  |  | 233,621,000 us-gaap_Liabilities |  |  |
Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue Recognition |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Period when partenr sales reports are received after end of quarter | 30 days |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue Recognition |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Period when partenr sales reports are received after end of quarter | 60 days |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equipment | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property and Equipment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Estimated useful life of assets | 3 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equipment | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property and Equipment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Estimated useful life of assets | 10 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Royalty Stream and Milestone Payments Purchase Agreement with Selexis |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commercial License Rights |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of commercial license agreement programs (programs) |  |  | 15 lgnd_LicenseAgreementNumberofCommercialLicenseAgreementPrograms / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_RoyaltyStreamAndMilestonePaymentsPurchaseAgreementWithSelexisMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Purchase price |  |  | 4,600,000 lgnd_LicenseAgreementPurchasePriceNetofAcquisitionCosts / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_RoyaltyStreamAndMilestonePaymentsPurchaseAgreementWithSelexisMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments to acquire intangible assets |  |  | 3,600,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireIntangibleAssets / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_RoyaltyStreamAndMilestonePaymentsPurchaseAgreementWithSelexisMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash payment due on first anniversary of the closing |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,000,000 lgnd_LicenseAgreementCashPaymentDueOnFirstAnniversaryOfClosing / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_RoyaltyStreamAndMilestonePaymentsPurchaseAgreementWithSelexisMember |  |
Cydex Pharmaceuticals, Inc |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Contingent Liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Contingent liability |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 17,600,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationLiability / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_CydexPharmaceuticalsIncMember |
Fair value of liability | 9,400,000 lgnd_BusinessAcquisitionContingentConsiderationPotentialCashPaymentAtEndOfPeriod / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_CydexPharmaceuticalsIncMember |  |  |  |  |  | 11,500,000 lgnd_BusinessAcquisitionContingentConsiderationPotentialCashPaymentAtEndOfPeriod / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_CydexPharmaceuticalsIncMember |  |  |
Contingent liability change in amount | 1,200,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsChangeInAmountOfContingentConsiderationLiability1 / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_CydexPharmaceuticalsIncMember | 500,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsChangeInAmountOfContingentConsiderationLiability1 / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_CydexPharmaceuticalsIncMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cydex Pharmaceuticals, Inc | Guaranteed Payment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Contingent Liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Purchase of commercial license rights |  |  |  | 4,300,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_CydexPharmaceuticalsIncMember / us-gaap_ContingentConsiderationByTypeAxis = lgnd_GuaranteedPaymentMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Cydex Pharmaceuticals, Inc | Revenue Sharing |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Contingent Liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Purchase of commercial license rights | 3,200,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_CydexPharmaceuticalsIncMember / us-gaap_ContingentConsiderationByTypeAxis = lgnd_RevenueSharingMember | 1,600,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_CydexPharmaceuticalsIncMember / us-gaap_ContingentConsiderationByTypeAxis = lgnd_RevenueSharingMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Metabasis Therapeutics |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Contingent Liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Fair value of liability | 2,500,000 lgnd_BusinessAcquisitionContingentConsiderationPotentialCashPaymentAtEndOfPeriod / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_MetabasisTherapeuticsMember |  |  |  |  |  | 3,700,000 lgnd_BusinessAcquisitionContingentConsiderationPotentialCashPaymentAtEndOfPeriod / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_MetabasisTherapeuticsMember |  |  |
Contingent liability change in amount | 1,200,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsChangeInAmountOfContingentConsiderationLiability1 / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_MetabasisTherapeuticsMember | (2,500,000)us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsChangeInAmountOfContingentConsiderationLiability1 / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_MetabasisTherapeuticsMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of contingent value rights |  |  |  |  | 4 lgnd_NumberOfContingentValueRightsIssued / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_MetabasisTherapeuticsMember |  |  |  |  |
Number of contingent value rights per series of contingent value rights |  |  |  |  | 1 lgnd_NumberOfContingentValueRightsPerSeriesOfContingentValueRights / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_MetabasisTherapeuticsMember |  |  |  |  |
Number of contingent value rights issued for each share |  |  |  |  | 4 lgnd_NumberOfRespectiveSeriesOfContingentValueRightsIssuedForEachShare / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = lgnd_MetabasisTherapeuticsMember |  |  |  |  |
Contingent value rights, frequency of cash payment |  |  |  |  | 6 months |  |  |  |  |
Accounts Receivable | Customer Concentration Risk |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Concentrations of Credit Risk |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Concentration risk, number of customers | 3 lgnd_ConcentrationRiskNumberOfCustomers / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_AccountsReceivableMember / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis = us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember |  |  |  |  | 2 lgnd_ConcentrationRiskNumberOfCustomers / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_AccountsReceivableMember / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis = us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember |  |  |  |
Concentration risk, percentage of accounts receivable | 77.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_AccountsReceivableMember / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis = us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember |  |  |  |  | 64.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_AccountsReceivableMember / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis = us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember |  |  |  |
Acquired In Process Research And Development |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquired In-Process Research and Development |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of in-process research and development | 0 lgnd_WriteoffofInProcessResearchandDevelopment / us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis = lgnd_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopmentMember | 0 lgnd_WriteoffofInProcessResearchandDevelopment / us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis = lgnd_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopmentMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Omthera Pharmaceuticals |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Milestone Payments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Event-based payment | 1,000,000 us-gaap_RevenueRecognitionMilestoneMethodRevenueRecognized / dei_LegalEntityAxis = lgnd_OmtheraPharmaceuticalsMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds from Collaborators |  |  |  |  |  |  | 500,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromCollaborators / dei_LegalEntityAxis = lgnd_OmtheraPharmaceuticalsMember |  |  |
Viking |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets | 2,768,000 us-gaap_Assets / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember |  |  |  |  |  | 3,043,000 us-gaap_Assets / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember |  |  |
Liabilities | 5,521,000 us-gaap_Liabilities / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember |  |  |  |  |  | 4,953,000 us-gaap_Liabilities / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember |  |  |
Collaborative Arrangement, Product | Omthera Pharmaceuticals |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Milestone Payments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Event-based payment |  |  |  |  |  |  | 400,000 us-gaap_RevenueRecognitionMilestoneMethodRevenueRecognized / dei_LegalEntityAxis = lgnd_OmtheraPharmaceuticalsMember / us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis = us-gaap_CollaborativeArrangementProductAgreementMember |  |  |
2019 convertible senior notes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Convertible Debt |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Principal amount outstanding | 245,000,000 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |  | 245,000,000 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember |  |  |
2019 convertible senior notes | Senior Notes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Convertible Debt |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Principal amount outstanding |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 245,000,000 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Interest rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.75%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = lgnd_A2019ConvertibleSeniorNotesMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember

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