Commitments And Contingencies (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	May 31, 2017	May 31, 2010	May 31, 2007	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011 sqft	Jun. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2010
Office space under lease, square feet						53,000
Average annual rental expense						$ 1,900,000
Rental agreement expiration date						March 2013
Number of lease renewal options						two
Number of years lease agreement, renewal option						5
Security deposit				1,300,000		1,300,000
Cash deposit				1,280,000		1,280,000		1,284,000
Rent expense from continuing operations				500,000	500,000	1,000,000	900,000
Number of senior officers with employment agreements						7
Annual employee benefits compensation committed						2,600,000
Initial term of employment agreement, period						three years
Number of years employment agreement renewed, period						one-year
Severance agreements, aggregate amount						1,800,000
Severance agreement costs, next twelve months						1,400,000
Severance agreement costs, next two to three years						400,000
Annual product world wide manufacturing requirement percentage						100.00%
Annual product world wide manufacturing requirement outside percentage						20.00%
Initial advance notice period ending, date	May 2017					December 2018
Product requirement terms						under the Israeli Law of Encouragement of Research and Development in Industry, as amended, as a result of the funding received from OCS, if the Company does not manufacture 100% of its annual worldwide bulk product requirements in Israel, the Company may be subject to total payments ranging from 120% to 300% of the repayment obligation plus interest, based upon the percentage of manufacturing that does not occur in Israel. The Company's aggregate principal repayment obligation plus interest to OCS and BIRD, if it manufactures more than 20% of its annual worldwide bulk product requirements outside of Israel, would be between $4.2 million and $9.2 million at June 30, 2011.
Tax contingencies		1,700,000	1,200,000
Increase in tax contingencies due to additional interest and penalties		500,000
Consideration payment per consulting agreement						20,000
Minimum [Member]
Possible project payment percentage exceeding repayment obligation						120.00%
Minimum [Member] | Mountain View Pharmaceuticals And Duke University [Member]
Percentage of royalty rate payable on net sales				8.00%		8.00%
Maximum [Member]
Possible project payment percentage exceeding repayment obligation						300.00%
Maximum [Member] | Mountain View Pharmaceuticals And Duke University [Member]
Percentage of royalty rate payable on net sales				12.00%		12.00%
Bio-Technology General (Israel) Ltd, [Member]
Minimum percentage of purchase committed						80.00%
Forecast of commercial supply required for the period						The Company is obligated to provide BTG with a rolling forecast on a monthly basis setting forth the total quantity of pegloticase drug substance it expects to require for commercial supply in the following 18 months. The first six months of each forecast represent a rolling firm irrevocable order, and the Company may only increase or decrease its forecast for the next 12 months within specified limits.
Expected future purchases, 12 months outlook				4,900,000		4,900,000
Non-refundable fees paid for potential future purchases						2,200,000
Advance notice period for termination of purchase contract, period						three years
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies USA LLC [Member]
Non-refundable fees paid for potential future purchases						1,000,000
Advance notice period for termination of purchase contract, period						45 days
Additional cost for re-execution of campaign				10,000,000		10,000,000
Termination of agreement after any written notice, period				30 days		30 days
NOF Corporation [Member]
Forecast of commercial supply required for the period						The Company must provide NOF with a rolling forecast on a quarterly basis setting forth the total quantity of mPEG-NPC that it expects to require in the following 18 months.
Expected future purchases, 12 months outlook				2,800,000		2,800,000
Minimum percentage of supply to be made by supplier						75.00%
Advance notice period for termination of minimum purchase obligation for entire year, period						three months
Percentage of minimum purchase obligation payable on termination				50.00%		50.00%
Additional increase in term on renewal of purchase contract, period						10 years
Advance notice period for termination of contract prior expiration of term, period						24 months
Additional period of continuous supply to be made by supplier on breach of contract, period						two years
Percentage of minimum purchase obligation payable on breach of purchase contract				50.00%		50.00%
Sigma-Tau PharmaSource, Inc [Member]
Expected future purchases, 12 months outlook				1,700,000		1,700,000
Mountain View Pharmaceuticals And Duke University [Member]
Maximum period for royalty payments based on net sales, period						60 days
Percentage of royalty payable on any revenue or other consideration receives from sub-licensees				20.00%		20.00%
Aggregate milestone payments made on obtaining regulatory approval								800,000
Aggregate payment to be made on attaining sales target				1,800,000		1,800,000
Aggregate payments made on achievement of milestones						2,500,000
Period of agreement effective from the date of first sale, period						10 years
Chief Scientist Of The State Of Israel [Member]
Financial grants in support of research and development						2,000,000
Expected aggregate principal repayment obligation plus interest				4,200,000		4,200,000
Israel-United States Bi-National Industrial Research And Development [Member]
Financial grants in support of research and development						600,000
Expected aggregate principal repayment obligation plus interest				$ 9,200,000		$ 9,200,000