The Company	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
The Company [Abstract]
The Company	(NOTE A) – The Company Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (the "Company") is a biopharmaceutical company that exists to place new therapies into the hands of those battling serious disease. Its lead products are BENLYSTA^® (belimumab) for systemic lupus erythematosus ("SLE") and raxibacumab for inhalation anthrax. BENLYSTA was approved in March 2011 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") for the treatment of adult patients with active, autoantibody-positive SLE who are receiving standard therapy. The Company launched BENLYSTA shortly thereafter and recognized revenue from its first BENLYSTA sales in March 2011. In July 2011, the European Commission granted marketing authorization for BENLYSTA in Europe as an add-on therapy in adult patients with active autoantibody-positive SLE, with a high degree of disease activity despite standard therapy. The Company, which is located primarily in the United States, operates in a single business segment.

The Company

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

(NOTE A) – The Company

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (the "Company") is a biopharmaceutical company that exists to place new therapies into the hands of those battling serious disease. Its lead products are BENLYSTA^® (belimumab) for systemic lupus erythematosus ("SLE") and raxibacumab for inhalation anthrax.

BENLYSTA was approved in March 2011 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") for the treatment of adult patients with active, autoantibody-positive SLE who are receiving standard therapy. The Company launched BENLYSTA shortly thereafter and recognized revenue from its first BENLYSTA sales in March 2011. In July 2011, the European Commission granted marketing authorization for BENLYSTA in Europe as an add-on therapy in adult patients with active autoantibody-positive SLE, with a high degree of disease activity despite standard therapy.

The Company, which is located primarily in the United States, operates in a single business segment.