Basis of Presentation (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) Share data in Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013 drug	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013 segment drug	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013 Equipment [Member] Minimum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Equipment [Member] Maximum [Member]	Apr. 30, 2013 Royalty Stream and Milestone Payments Purchase Agreement with Selexis [Member] program	Sep. 30, 2013 Cydex Pharmaceuticals, Inc [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Cydex Pharmaceuticals, Inc [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cydex Pharmaceuticals, Inc [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Cydex Pharmaceuticals, Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Cydex Pharmaceuticals, Inc [Member]	Jan. 24, 2011 Cydex Pharmaceuticals, Inc [Member]	Jan. 31, 2012 Cydex Pharmaceuticals, Inc [Member] Guaranteed Payment [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cydex Pharmaceuticals, Inc [Member] Revenue Sharing [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cydex Pharmaceuticals, Inc [Member] Revenue Sharing [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Cydex Pharmaceuticals, Inc [Member] Revenue Sharing [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Cydex Pharmaceuticals, Inc [Member] Milestone Payment [Member]	Jan. 31, 2010 Metabasis Therapeutics [Member] right	Sep. 30, 2013 Metabasis Therapeutics [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Metabasis Therapeutics [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Metabasis Therapeutics [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Metabasis Therapeutics [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Neurogen Corporation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Neurogen Corporation [Member] right	Sep. 30, 2013 Neurogen Corporation [Member] Contingent Value Rights VR1 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Accounts Receivable [Member] Customer Concentration Risk [Member] customer	Dec. 31, 2012 Accounts Receivable [Member] Customer Concentration Risk [Member] customer	Sep. 30, 2013 Accounts Receivable [Member] Customer Concentration Risk [Member] Major Customer 1 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Accounts Receivable [Member] Customer Concentration Risk [Member] Major Customer 1 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Accounts Receivable [Member] Customer Concentration Risk [Member] Major Customer 2 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Accounts Receivable [Member] Customer Concentration Risk [Member] Major Customer 2 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Acquired In Process Research And Development [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Acquired In Process Research And Development [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Acquired In Process Research And Development [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Acquired In Process Research And Development [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Accumulated deficit	$ (673,208,000)		$ (673,208,000)		$ (682,759,000)
Working capital	(15,800,000)		(15,800,000)
Period for which available resources are sufficient to satisfy company's anticipated operating and capital requirements			12 months
Earnings (Loss) Per Share
Common shares excluded from computation			0.9	1.3
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments
Maturity period of cash and cash equivalents, maximum			3 months
Maturity period of short term investments, minimum			3 months
Concentrations of Credit Risk
FDIC insured amount	250,000		250,000
Cash deposits	2,800,000		2,800,000		11,900,000
Concentration risk, number of customers																												2	2
Concentration risk, percentage of accounts receivable																														48.00%	53.00%	39.00%	35.00%
Property and Equipment
Estimated useful life of assets						3 years	10 years
Depreciation	100,000	200,000	100,000	200,000
Goodwill and Other Identifiable Intangible Assets
Finite-lived intangible asset, useful life			20 years
Amortization expense	600,000	1,800,000	600,000	1,800,000
Amortization Expense
Amortization expense 2013	2,400,000		2,400,000
Amortization expense 2014	2,400,000		2,400,000
Amortization expense 2015	2,400,000		2,400,000
Amortization expense 2016	2,400,000		2,400,000
Amortization expense 2017	2,400,000		2,400,000
Acquired In-Process Research and Development
Asset impairment charge			500,000
Impairment of in-process research and development	0	0	480,000	0																														0	0	0	0
Commercial License Rights
Number of commercial license agreement programs								15
Purchase price								4,600,000
Payments to acquire intangible assets								3,600,000
Cash payment due on first anniversary of the closing								1,000,000
Contingent Liabilities
Contingent liability														17,600,000
Paid to CyDex shareholders											100,000				4,300,000	0	0	200,000	3,500,000
Fair value of liability									8,700,000		8,700,000		10,900,000								1,700,000			0
Contingent liability change in amount									1,200,000	100,000	2,100,000	2,100,000									700,000	0	(1,100,000)		(500,000)		(200,000)
Number of contingent value rights																				4						4
Number of contingent value rights per series of contingent value rights																				1
Number of contingent value rights issued for each share																				4
Contingent value rights, frequency of cash payment																				6 months
Revenue Recognition
Period allowed for return of products, minimum			30 days
Period allowed for return of products, maximum			90 days
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Accounts receivable outstanding considered past due after period, minimum			30 days
Accounts receivable outstanding considered past due after period, maximum			90 days
Allowance for doubtful accounts	0		0		0
Sale of Royalty Rights
Deferred revenue	300,000		300,000		800,000
Amount included in current portion of deferred revenue	300,000		300,000		500,000
Amount included in long term portion of deferred revenue	0		0		300,000
Discontinued Operations
Number of drugs included in product line	4		4
Gain on sale of Avinza Product Line before income taxes			$ 2,588,000	$ 3,656,000
Segment Reporting
Number of reportable segments			2