Basis of Presentation (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Notes to Financial Statements
Principles of Consolidation	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NPS Pharma or the Company) in accordance with the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The condensed consolidated financial statements are comprised of the financial statements of NPS Pharma and its subsidiaries collectively referred to as the Company. In management's opinion, the interim financial data presented includes all adjustments (consisting solely of normal recurring items) necessary for fair presentation. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Certain information required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles has been condensed or omitted in accordance with rules and regulations of the SEC. Operating results for the three or nine months ended September 30, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future period or for the year ending December 31, 2014. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company's audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2013, included in NPS Pharma's 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC.
Use of Estimates	The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions relating to reporting of the assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities to prepare these condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
Subsequent Events	The Company has evaluated all events and transactions since September 30, 2014. The Company did not have any material recognized or non-recognized subsequent events.
Foreign currency	The financial statements of the Company's subsidiaries with functional currencies other than the U.S. dollar are translated into U.S. dollars using period-end exchange rates for assets and liabilities, historical exchange rates for stockholders' equity and weighted average exchange rates for operating results. Translation gains and losses are included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax, in stockholders' equity. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in the results of operations in other income and expense.
Income (Loss) per Common Share	Basic net income (loss) per common share is the amount of income (loss) for the period divided by the weighted average shares of common stock outstanding during the reporting period. Diluted income (loss) per common share is the amount of income (loss) for the period plus interest expense on convertible debt divided by the sum of weighted average shares of common stock outstanding during the reporting period and weighted average shares that would have been outstanding assuming the issuance of common shares for all dilutive potential common shares.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	The Company's financial assets and liabilities are measured using inputs from the three levels of the fair value hierarchy. The three levels are as follows: Level 1- Inputs are unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date. Level 2- Inputs are other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 2 inputs include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability (i.e., interest rates, yield curves, etc.), and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means (market corroborated inputs). Level 3- Inputs are unobservable and reflect the Company's assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. The Company develops these inputs based on the best information available. The fair values of the Company's convertible notes were estimated using the (i) terms of the convertible notes; (ii) rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions of the underlying security; (iii) time until any restriction(s) are released; (iv) fundamental financial and other characteristics of the Company; (v) trading characteristics of the underlying security (exchange, volume, price, and volatility); and (vi) precedent sale transactions. The fair values of the Company's non-recourse Sensipar notes, recombinant human parathyroid hormone [1-84] ("rhPTH 1-84")-secured debt and Regpara-secured debt were estimated using a discounted cash flow model. Within the hierarchy of fair value measurements, these are Level 3 fair values.
Inventory	Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market.
Income Taxes	The Company accounts for penalties or interest related to uncertain tax positions as part of its provision for income taxes. Due to the Company's net operating loss carryforwards, any adjustment related to a liability would not be expected to result in a cash tax liability. Accordingly, the Company has not accrued for penalties or interest for the U.S. (both federal and state) as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013. Assuming the continued existence of a full valuation allowance on the Company's net deferred tax assets, future recognition of any of the Company's unrecognized tax benefits would not impact the effective tax rate.

Disclosure of accounting policy regarding (1) the principles it follows in consolidating or combining the separate financial statements, including the principles followed in determining the inclusion or exclusion of subsidiaries or other entities in the consolidated or combined financial statements and (2) its treatment of interests (for example, common stock, a partnership interest or other means of exerting influence) in other entities, for example consolidation or use of the equity or cost methods of accounting. The accounting policy may also address the accounting treatment for intercompany accounts and transactions, noncontrolling interest, and the income statement treatment in consolidation for issuances of stock by a subsidiary.

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Disclosure of accounting policy for computing basic and diluted earnings or loss per share for each class of common stock and participating security. Addresses all significant policy factors, including any antidilutive items that have been excluded from the computation and takes into account stock dividends, splits and reverse splits that occur after the balance sheet date of the latest reporting period but before the issuance of the financial statements.

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Disclosure of accounting policy for income taxes, which may include its accounting policies for recognizing and measuring deferred tax assets and liabilities and related valuation allowances, recognizing investment tax credits, operating loss carryforwards, tax credit carryforwards, and other carryforwards, methodologies for determining its effective income tax rate and the characterization of interest and penalties in the financial statements.

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Disclosure of accounting policy for major classes of inventories, bases of stating inventories (for example, lower of cost or market), methods by which amounts are added and removed from inventory classes (for example, FIFO, LIFO, or average cost), loss recognition on impairment of inventories, and situations in which inventories are stated above cost. If inventory is carried at cost, this disclosure includes the nature of the cost elements included in inventory.

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