Business	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Business	Business La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (collectively with its wholly-owned 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. GIAPREZA^TM (angiotensin II), formerly known as LJPC-501, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 21, 2017 as a vasoconstrictor to increase blood pressure in adults with septic or other distributive shock. LJPC-401 (synthetic human hepcidin), a clinical-stage investigational product, is being developed for the potential treatment of conditions characterized by iron overload, such as hereditary hemochromatosis, beta thalassemia, sickle cell disease and myelodysplastic syndrome. As of September 30, 2018, the Company had $204.3 million in cash and cash equivalents, compared to $90.9 million in cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2017. Based on the Company’s current operating plans and projections, the Company expects that its cash and cash equivalents as of September 30, 2018 will be sufficient to fund its operations at least into the second half of 2020.

Business

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (collectively with its wholly-owned 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. GIAPREZA^TM (angiotensin II), formerly known as LJPC-501, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 21, 2017 as a vasoconstrictor to increase blood pressure in adults with septic or other distributive shock. LJPC-401 (synthetic human hepcidin), a clinical-stage investigational product, is being developed for the potential treatment of conditions characterized by iron overload, such as hereditary hemochromatosis, beta thalassemia, sickle cell disease and myelodysplastic syndrome.

As of September 30, 2018, the Company had $204.3 million in cash and cash equivalents, compared to $90.9 million in cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2017. Based on the Company’s current operating plans and projections, the Company expects that its cash and cash equivalents as of September 30, 2018 will be sufficient to fund its operations at least into the second half of 2020.