Number Of Stock Incentive Plans

No definition available.

Name:	sppi_NumberOfStockIncentivePlans
Namespace Prefix:	sppi_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage Of Fair Market Value Of Common Stock

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sppi_PercentageOfFairMarketValueOfCommonStock
Namespace Prefix:	sppi_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Purchase plan offering period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sppi_PurchasePlanOfferingPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	sppi_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share based compensation arrangement by share based payment award estimated forfeiture rate.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sppi_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEstimatedForfeitureRate
Namespace Prefix:	sppi_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award Increase In Number Of Shares Reserved For Available For Issuance

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sppi_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardIncreaseInNumberOfSharesReservedForAvailableForIssuance
Namespace Prefix:	sppi_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award Maximum Number Of Common Stock Value Per Employee

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sppi_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardMaximumNumberOfCommonStockValuePerEmployee
Namespace Prefix:	sppi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share Based Compensation Arrangement Number Of Shares Authorized As Percentage Of Common Stock Outstanding

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sppi_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementNumberOfSharesAuthorizedAsPercentageOfCommonStockOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	sppi_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Stock option exercise period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sppi_StockOptionExercisePeriod
Namespace Prefix:	sppi_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average period over which unrecognized compensation is expected to be recognized for equity-based compensation plans, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognizedPeriodForRecognition1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Unrecognized cost of unvested share-based awards, other than options, awarded to employees as compensation.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognizedShareBasedAwardsOtherThanOptions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Period which an employee's right to exercise an award is no longer contingent on satisfaction of either a service condition, market condition or a performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingPeriod1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The highest quantity of shares an employee can purchase under the plan per period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardMaximumNumberOfSharesPerEmployee
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of additional shares authorized for issuance under an established share-based compensation plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfAdditionalSharesAuthorized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) originally approved (usually by shareholders and board of directors), net of any subsequent amendments and adjustments, for awards under the equity-based compensation plan. As stock or unit options and equity instruments other than options are awarded to participants, the shares or units remain authorized and become reserved for issuance under outstanding awards (not necessarily vested).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The difference between the maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) authorized for issuance under the plan (including the effects of amendments and adjustments), and the sum of: 1) the number of shares (or other type of equity) already issued upon exercise of options or other equity-based awards under the plan; and 2) shares (or other type of equity) reserved for issuance on granting of outstanding awards, net of cancellations and forfeitures, if applicable.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of vesting of share-based compensation awards.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingRightsPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Purchase price of common stock expressed as a percentage of its fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardPurchasePriceOfCommonStockPercent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_StockOptionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=sppi_RestrictedStockAwardMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis=sppi_ScenarioOneMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis=sppi_ScenarioTwoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=sppi_TwoThousandNineIncentivePlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=sppi_TwoThousandAndThirteenStockIncentivePlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=sppi_PurchasePlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Stock-Based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Plans shares	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of stock incentive plans \| Plans	1
Estimated forfeiture rate	11.00%	8.00%	8.00%
Exercise of Issued Employee Stock Option [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expense \| $	$ 8,800,000
Weighted average period to recognize compensation expense	2 years 4 months 29 days
Restricted Stock Awards [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expense \| $	$ 9,800,000
Weighted average period to recognize compensation expense	2 years 3 months 13 days
Upon Termination of Employment [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock based award vest	25.00%
Restricted stock exercised period	90 days
In the Event of Optionee's Death, Disability or Retirement [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Restricted stock exercised period	365 days
Maximum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Restricted stock vesting period	10 years
Minimum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Restricted stock vesting period	3 years
2009 Incentive Award Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock authorized for issuance under incentive plan (shares)	10,000,000
Increased number of common stock shares (shares)	2,500,000
Issuance of common stock	30.00%
Incentive awards available for grant (shares)	8,641,698
2009 Incentive Award Plan [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Exercise price fair value	100.00%
2013 Stock Incentive Plan [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Incentive awards available for grant (shares)	50,000
Purchase Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock authorized for issuance under incentive plan (shares)	4,300,000
Incentive awards available for grant (shares)	10,000,000
Percentage of common stock purchase price	15.00%
Purchase Plan offering period	6 months
Maximum number of common stock shares available for purchase per participant (shares)	50,000
Maximum number of common stock value available for purchase per participant \| $	$ 25,000
Increase in number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the purchase plan (shares)	1,000,000