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Cash and Investments in Marketable Securities - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
3 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Cash and Investments in Marketable Securities [Line Items]        
Maximum maturity term for debt securities investment Two years or less      
Weighted average maturity term for debt securities investment One year or less      
Available-for-sale securities, sold $ 5,200,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainsLossesSaleProceeds $ 0.0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainsLossesSaleProceeds    
Restricted cash 25,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue   25,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue 25,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
Level 1 to level 2 transfers 0us-gaap_FairValueAssetsLevel1ToLevel2TransfersAmount 0us-gaap_FairValueAssetsLevel1ToLevel2TransfersAmount 0us-gaap_FairValueAssetsLevel1ToLevel2TransfersAmount  
Level 2 to level 1 transfers 0us-gaap_FairValueAssetsLevel2ToLevel1TransfersAmount 0us-gaap_FairValueAssetsLevel2ToLevel1TransfersAmount 0us-gaap_FairValueAssetsLevel2ToLevel1TransfersAmount  
Senior secured notes, carrying amount 125,000,000us-gaap_SeniorLongTermNotes   125,000,000us-gaap_SeniorLongTermNotes 125,000,000us-gaap_SeniorLongTermNotes
AstraZeneca AB [Member] | United States [Member]        
Cash and Investments in Marketable Securities [Line Items]        
Received upfront and milestone payments     100,000,000nktr_UpfrontAndMilestonePaymentsReceivedUnderLicenseAgreement
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= nktr_AstraZenecaAbMember
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= country_US
 
12% Senior Secured Notes Due July 2017 [Member]        
Cash and Investments in Marketable Securities [Line Items]        
Restricted cash 25,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
  25,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
 
Senior secured notes, interest rate 12.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
  12.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
 
Senior secured notes, maturity date Jul. 15, 2017      
12% Senior Secured Notes Due July 2017 [Member] | Level 3 [Member]        
Cash and Investments in Marketable Securities [Line Items]        
Senior secured notes, interest rate 12.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
  12.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
 
Senior secured notes, maturity date Jul. 15, 2017      
Senior secured notes, carrying amount $ 125,000,000us-gaap_SeniorLongTermNotes
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
  $ 125,000,000us-gaap_SeniorLongTermNotes
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= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
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= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember