Business	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 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, sickle cell disease and myelodysplastic syndrome. 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 6). 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 December 31, 2015, the Company's cash used in operating activities was $44.9 million. The Company had available cash and cash equivalents of $126.5 million at December 31, 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

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 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, sickle cell disease and myelodysplastic syndrome. 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 6).

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 December 31, 2015, the Company's cash used in operating activities was $44.9 million. The Company had available cash and cash equivalents of $126.5 million at December 31, 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.