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Cash Equivalents and Investments (Summary of Cash and Available-For-Sale Securities) (Detail) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Mar. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Schedule of Available-For-Sale Securities [Line Items]        
Adjusted Cost $ 418,418us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost $ 293,127us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost    
Available-for-sale Debt Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax 502us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedGainBeforeTax 560us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedGainBeforeTax    
Available-for-sale Debt Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax    
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Available-for-Sale Securities, Fair Value 418,920pdli_CashCashEquivalentsAndAvailableForSaleSecuritesFairValueDisclosure 293,687pdli_CashCashEquivalentsAndAvailableForSaleSecuritesFairValueDisclosure    
Cash and Cash Equivalents 416,668us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue [1] 291,377us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue [2] 334,035us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue 94,302us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
Short-Term Marketable Securities 2,252us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent [1] 2,310us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent [2]    
Cash [Member]        
Schedule of Available-For-Sale Securities [Line Items]        
Adjusted Cost 225,832us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember		 69,585us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember		    
Available-for-sale Debt Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedGainBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember		 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedGainBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember		    
Available-for-sale Debt Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember		 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember		    
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Available-for-Sale Securities, Fair Value 225,832pdli_CashCashEquivalentsAndAvailableForSaleSecuritesFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember		 69,585pdli_CashCashEquivalentsAndAvailableForSaleSecuritesFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember		    
Cash and Cash Equivalents 225,832us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember		 69,585us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember		    
Short-Term Marketable Securities 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember		 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember		    
Money Market Funds [Member]        
Schedule of Available-For-Sale Securities [Line Items]        
Adjusted Cost 190,836us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsMember		 221,792us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsMember		    
Available-for-sale Debt Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedGainBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsMember		 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedGainBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsMember		    
Available-for-sale Debt Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsMember		 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsMember		    
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Available-for-Sale Securities, Fair Value 190,836pdli_CashCashEquivalentsAndAvailableForSaleSecuritesFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsMember		 221,792pdli_CashCashEquivalentsAndAvailableForSaleSecuritesFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsMember		    
Cash and Cash Equivalents 190,836us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsMember		 221,792us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsMember		    
Short-Term Marketable Securities 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsMember		 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsMember		    
Equity Securities [Member]        
Schedule of Available-For-Sale Securities [Line Items]        
Adjusted Cost 1,750us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember		 1,750us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember		    
Available-for-sale Debt Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax 502us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedGainBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember		 560us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedGainBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember		    
Available-for-sale Debt Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember		 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember		    
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Available-for-Sale Securities, Fair Value 2,252pdli_CashCashEquivalentsAndAvailableForSaleSecuritesFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember		 2,310pdli_CashCashEquivalentsAndAvailableForSaleSecuritesFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember		    
Cash and Cash Equivalents 0us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember		 0us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember		    
Short-Term Marketable Securities $ 2,252us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember		 $ 2,310us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember		    
[1] unaudited
[2] Note 1