Business	9 Months Ended
Sep. 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, beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease. 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. In September 2015, the Company completed a common stock offering and received approximately $104.6 million, net of issuance costs (see Note 4). 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 September 30, 2015, the Company's cash used in operating activities was $36.5 million. The Company had available cash and cash equivalents of $135.1 million at September 30, 2015. Based on current operating plans and projections, management believes that the available cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund operations into 2018.

Business

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

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, beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease. 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.

In September 2015, the Company completed a common stock offering and received approximately $104.6 million, net of issuance costs (see Note 4).

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 September 30, 2015, the Company's cash used in operating activities was $36.5 million. The Company had available cash and cash equivalents of $135.1 million at September 30, 2015. Based on current operating plans and projections, management believes that the available cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund operations into 2018.