Business	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Business	Business La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (collectively with its subsidiaries, the "Company") is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies intended to significantly improve outcomes in patients suffering from life-threatening diseases. The Company has several product candidates in development. LJPC-501 is the Company's proprietary formulation of angiotensin II for the potential treatment of catecholamine-resistant hypotension. LJPC-401 is the Company's novel formulation of hepcidin for the potential treatment of conditions characterized by iron overload, such as hereditary hemochromatosis and beta thalassemia. LJPC-30Sa and LJPC-30Sb are the Company's next-generation gentamicin derivatives for the potential treatment of serious bacterial infections and rare genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The Company was incorporated in 1989 as a Delaware corporation and reincorporated in California in 2012. The Company has a history of incurring significant operating losses and negative cash flows from operations. Since January 2012, when the Company was effectively restarted with new assets and a new management team, through June 30, 2015, the Company's cash used in operating activities was $31.0 million. In July 2014, the Company completed a common stock offering and received approximately $53.1 million, net of issuance costs (see Note 3). As of June 30, 2015, the Company had available cash and cash equivalents of $36.0 million. Management believes that the available cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund operations through 2016; provided, however, that if the Company pursues additional clinical trials other than those currently planned for the Company's existing product candidates, or if the Company adds additional product candidates prior to the end of 2016, the Company expects that it will need to raise additional capital. Effective January 14, 2014, the Company effected a 1-for-50 reverse split (the "2014 Reverse Stock Split") of its outstanding common stock (See Note 3). All common stock share and per share information in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been restated to reflect retrospective application of the 2014 Reverse Stock Split for all periods presented, except for par value per share and the number of authorized share amounts, which were not affected. All stock options and the shares of common stock underlying outstanding convertible preferred stock were ratably adjusted to give effect to the 2014 Reverse Stock Split.

Business

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (collectively with its subsidiaries, the "Company") is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies intended to significantly improve outcomes in patients suffering from life-threatening diseases. The Company has several product candidates in development. LJPC-501 is the Company's proprietary formulation of angiotensin II for the potential treatment of catecholamine-resistant hypotension. LJPC-401 is the Company's novel formulation of hepcidin for the potential treatment of conditions characterized by iron overload, such as hereditary hemochromatosis and beta thalassemia. LJPC-30Sa and LJPC-30Sb are the Company's next-generation gentamicin derivatives for the potential treatment of serious bacterial infections and rare genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The Company was incorporated in 1989 as a Delaware corporation and reincorporated in California in 2012.

The Company has a history of incurring significant operating losses and negative cash flows from operations. Since January 2012, when the Company was effectively restarted with new assets and a new management team, through June 30, 2015, the Company's cash used in operating activities was $31.0 million. In July 2014, the Company completed a common stock offering and received approximately $53.1 million, net of issuance costs (see Note 3). As of June 30, 2015, the Company had available cash and cash equivalents of $36.0 million. Management believes that the available cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund operations through 2016; provided, however, that if the Company pursues additional clinical trials other than those currently planned for the Company's existing product candidates, or if the Company adds additional product candidates prior to the end of 2016, the Company expects that it will need to raise additional capital.

Effective January 14, 2014, the Company effected a 1-for-50 reverse split (the "2014 Reverse Stock Split") of its outstanding common stock (See Note 3). All common stock share and per share information in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been restated to reflect retrospective application of the 2014 Reverse Stock Split for all periods presented, except for par value per share and the number of authorized share amounts, which were not affected. All stock options and the shares of common stock underlying outstanding convertible preferred stock were ratably adjusted to give effect to the 2014 Reverse Stock Split.