CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Common Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (loss)	Accumulated Deficit	Treasury Stock	Total
Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	$ 1,115	$ 1,803,048	$ 162	$ (1,505,203)	$ 0	$ 299,122
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013	111,516				0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Exercise of stock options, and issuance of common stock units, stock awards and purchase plan	$ 17	10,813	0	0	$ 0	10,830
Exercise of stock options, and issuance of common stock units, stock awards and purchase plan (in shares)	1,744				0
Issuance of common stock in private placement to a related party	$ 17	38,078	0	0	$ 0	38,095
Issuance of common stock in private placement to a related party (in shares)	1,665				0
Stock-based compensation	$ 0	27,485	0	0	$ 0	27,485
Conversion of convertible subordinated notes due 2023	$ 15	31,756	0	0	$ 0	31,771
Conversion of convertible subordinated notes due 2023 (in shares)	1,520				0
Repurchase of common stock	$ 0	3,263	0	0	$ (3,263)	0
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)	0				(150)
Guarantee issued in connection with distribution to Theravance Biopharma, Inc. related to lease agreements	$ 0	(1,300)	0	0	$ 0	(1,300)
Distribution to Theravance Biopharma, Inc.	0	(402,787)	0	0	0	(402,787)
Cash dividends declared, $0.50 per common share in 2014, and $0.75 per common share in 2015	0	(57,852)	0	0	0	(57,852)
Net income (loss)	0	0	0	(168,464)	0	(168,464)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	(249)	0	0	(249)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 1,164	1,452,504	(87)	(1,673,667)	$ (3,263)	(223,349)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014	116,445				(150)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Exercise of stock options, and issuance of common stock units, stock awards and purchase plan	$ 8	(488)	0	0	$ 0	(480)
Exercise of stock options, and issuance of common stock units, stock awards and purchase plan (in shares)	740				0
Issuance of common stock in private placement to a related party	$ 4	6,524	0	0	$ 0	6,528
Issuance of common stock in private placement to a related party (in shares)	424				0
Stock-based compensation	$ 0	6,873	0	0	$ 0	6,873
Repurchase of common stock	$ (27)	(25,609)	0	0	$ 0	(25,636)
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)	(2,676)				0
Cash dividends declared, $0.50 per common share in 2014, and $0.75 per common share in 2015	$ 0	(87,906)	0	0	$ 0	(87,906)
Net income (loss)	0	0	0	(18,760)	0	(18,760)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	85	0	0	85
Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 1,149	1,351,898	(2)	(1,692,427)	$ (3,263)	(342,645)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015	114,933				(150)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Exercise of stock options, and issuance of common stock units, stock awards and purchase plan	$ 8	(674)	0	0	$ 0	(666)
Exercise of stock options, and issuance of common stock units, stock awards and purchase plan (in shares)	853				0
Partial termination of capped call options associated with repurchases of convertible notes due 2023	$ 0	578	0	0	$ 0	578
Stock-based compensation	0	8,297	0	0	0	8,297
Repurchase of common stock	$ (72)	(78,022)	0	0	$ 0	(78,094)
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)	(7,201)				0
Net income (loss)	$ 0	0	0	59,536	$ 0	59,536
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	3	0	0	3
Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 1,085	$ 1,282,077	$ 1	$ (1,632,891)	$ (3,263)	$ (352,991)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016	108,585				(150)