Income Taxes - Income Tax Provision Related to Continuing Operations (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income tax expense (benefit) at federal statutory rate	$ 143,372	$ (33,627)	$ (53,427)
Non-cash interest expense on liability related to sale of future royalties	4,451	6,604	6,899
Non-deductible officers' compensation	3,182	2,547	220
Tax law changes	45	248,155	0
Stock-based compensation	(66,716)	(20,665)	528
Change in valuation allowance	(46,885)	(186,124)	51,981
Research credits	(17,295)	(8,038)	(4,543)
Premium on equity issuance	(12,551)	0	0
Sale of future royalties	(6,995)	(8,236)	0
Other	804	0	(782)
Provision for income taxes	$ 1,412	$ 616	$ 876

Change in tax rate income tax expense benefit.

No definition available.

Name:	nktr_ChangeInTaxRateIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix:	nktr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Income tax reconciliation expense share based compensation cost.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nktr_IncomeTaxReconciliationExpenseShareBasedCompensationCost
Namespace Prefix:	nktr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to other nondeductible expenses.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nktr_IncomeTaxReconciliationNonDeductibleExpenseForLiabilityRelatedSaleOfFutureRoyalties
Namespace Prefix:	nktr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Income tax reconciliation nondeductible expense officers compensation.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nktr_IncomeTaxReconciliationNondeductibleExpenseOfficersCompensation
Namespace Prefix:	nktr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Income tax reconciliation premium on equity issuance.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nktr_IncomeTaxReconciliationPremiumOnEquityIssuance
Namespace Prefix:	nktr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Income tax reconciliation income tax sale of future royalties.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nktr_IncometaxReconciliationIncomeTaxSaleOfFutureRoyalties
Namespace Prefix:	nktr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 22
-Subparagraph (h)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115929826&loc=d3e8736-108599

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(h))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109238882&loc=d3e38679-109324

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32698-109319

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84176650&loc=d3e32123-109318

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of income tax expense or benefit for the period computed by applying the domestic federal statutory tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32698-109319

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(h)(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCreditsResearch
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration