Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Note 5 — Commitments and Contingencies Operating Leases In May 2018, we entered into a Lease Agreement (the Lease) with Kilroy Realty Finance Partnership, L.P. to lease 135,936 square feet of space located at 360 Third St., San Francisco, California (the Third Street Facility) from 2018 to 2030. An initial 1,726 square feet was delivered in June 2018, and the remaining space is expected to be delivered in phases during the fourth quarter of 2018 and during 2019. The Lease will provide us additional facilities to support increased personnel for our San Francisco-based R&D activities and corporate offices. The lease term will end on January 31, 2030, subject to our right to extend the term of the Lease for a consecutive five-year period. We have a one-time right of first offer with respect to certain additional rental space at the Third Street Facility. The Lease includes various covenants, indemnities, defaults, termination rights, security deposits and other provisions customary for lease transactions of this nature. As of September 30, 2018, our minimum lease payments for the delivered space in the Third Street Facility are not material. However, provided that all phases are delivered as expected, our annual base rent on an industrial gross lease basis, which includes certain expenses and property taxes paid directly by the landlord, would be approximately $10.9 million, which will escalate each year over the term at an annual rate of increase of three percent (3%). Legal Matters From time to time, we are involved in lawsuits, arbitrations, claims, investigations and proceedings, consisting of intellectual property, commercial, employment and other matters, which arise in the ordinary course of business. We make provisions for liabilities when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Such provisions are reviewed at least quarterly and adjusted to reflect the impact of settlement negotiations, judicial and administrative rulings, advice of legal counsel, and other information and events pertaining to a particular case. Litigation is inherently unpredictable. If any unfavorable ruling were to occur in any specific period, there exists the possibility of a material adverse impact on the results of our operations of that period and on our cash flows and liquidity. On October 30, 2018, the Company and its CEO and CFO were named in a putative securities class action entitled, Mulquin v. Nektar Therapeutics et. al., N.D. Cal. The case asserts that for the period of November 11, 2017 through October 2, 2018, the Company’s stock was inflated due to alleged misrepresentations about the efficacy and safety of NKTR-214. We believe, however, that the allegations lack merit. The case is in the early stages. Accordingly, we cannot reasonably estimate any range of potential future charges, and we have not recorded any accrual for a contingent liability associated with this legal proceeding. However, an unfavorable resolution could potentially have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations or prospects, potentially delay or limit our ability to use some of our research and development programs, and potentially result in paying monetary damages. Indemnifications in Connection with Commercial Agreements As part of our collaboration agreements with our partners related to the license, development, manufacture and supply of drugs based on our proprietary technologies and drug candidates, we generally agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless our partners from and against third party liabilities arising out of the agreement, including product liability (with respect to our activities) and infringement of intellectual property to the extent the intellectual property is developed by us and licensed to our partners. The term of these indemnification obligations is generally perpetual any time after execution of the agreement. There is generally no limitation on the potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification obligations. From time to time, we enter into other strategic agreements such as divestitures and financing transactions pursuant to which we are required to make representations and warranties and undertake to perform or comply with certain covenants, including our obligation to RPI described in Note 4. In the event it is determined that we breached certain of the representations and warranties or covenants made by us in any such agreements, we could incur substantial indemnification liabilities depending on the timing, nature, and amount of any such claims. To date, we have not incurred costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification obligations. Because the aggregate amount of any potential indemnification obligation is not a stated amount, the overall maximum amount of any such obligations cannot be reasonably estimated. No liabilities have been recorded for these obligations in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at either September 30, 2018 or December 31, 2017.

Note 5 — Commitments and Contingencies

Operating Leases

In May 2018, we entered into a Lease Agreement (the Lease) with Kilroy Realty Finance Partnership, L.P. to lease 135,936 square feet of space located at 360 Third St., San Francisco, California (the Third Street Facility) from 2018 to 2030. An initial 1,726 square feet was delivered in June 2018, and the remaining space is expected to be delivered in phases during the fourth quarter of 2018 and during 2019. The Lease will provide us additional facilities to support increased personnel for our San Francisco-based R&D activities and corporate offices.

The lease term will end on January 31, 2030, subject to our right to extend the term of the Lease for a consecutive five-year period. We have a one-time right of first offer with respect to certain additional rental space at the Third Street Facility. The Lease includes various covenants, indemnities, defaults, termination rights, security deposits and other provisions customary for lease transactions of this nature.

As of September 30, 2018, our minimum lease payments for the delivered space in the Third Street Facility are not material. However, provided that all phases are delivered as expected, our annual base rent on an industrial gross lease basis, which includes certain expenses and property taxes paid directly by the landlord, would be approximately $10.9 million, which will escalate each year over the term at an annual rate of increase of three percent (3%).

Legal Matters

From time to time, we are involved in lawsuits, arbitrations, claims, investigations and proceedings, consisting of intellectual property, commercial, employment and other matters, which arise in the ordinary course of business. We make provisions for liabilities when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Such provisions are reviewed at least quarterly and adjusted to reflect the impact of settlement negotiations, judicial and administrative rulings, advice of legal counsel, and other information and events pertaining to a particular case. Litigation is inherently unpredictable. If any unfavorable ruling were to occur in any specific period, there exists the possibility of a material adverse impact on the results of our operations of that period and on our cash flows and liquidity.

On October 30, 2018, the Company and its CEO and CFO were named in a putative securities class action entitled, Mulquin v. Nektar Therapeutics et. al., N.D. Cal. The case asserts that for the period of November 11, 2017 through October 2, 2018, the Company’s stock was inflated due to alleged misrepresentations about the efficacy and safety of NKTR-214. We believe, however, that the allegations lack merit. The case is in the early stages. Accordingly, we cannot reasonably estimate any range of potential future charges, and we have not recorded any accrual for a contingent liability associated with this legal proceeding. However, an unfavorable resolution could potentially have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations or prospects, potentially delay or limit our ability to use some of our research and development programs, and potentially result in paying monetary damages.

Indemnifications in Connection with Commercial Agreements

As part of our collaboration agreements with our partners related to the license, development, manufacture and supply of drugs based on our proprietary technologies and drug candidates, we generally agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless our partners from and against third party liabilities arising out of the agreement, including product liability (with respect to our activities) and infringement of intellectual property to the extent the intellectual property is developed by us and licensed to our partners. The term of these indemnification obligations is generally perpetual any time after execution of the agreement. There is generally no limitation on the potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification obligations.

From time to time, we enter into other strategic agreements such as divestitures and financing transactions pursuant to which we are required to make representations and warranties and undertake to perform or comply with certain covenants, including our obligation to RPI described in Note 4. In the event it is determined that we breached certain of the representations and warranties or covenants made by us in any such agreements, we could incur substantial indemnification liabilities depending on the timing, nature, and amount of any such claims.

To date, we have not incurred costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification obligations. Because the aggregate amount of any potential indemnification obligation is not a stated amount, the overall maximum amount of any such obligations cannot be reasonably estimated. No liabilities have been recorded for these obligations in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at either September 30, 2018 or December 31, 2017.