Income Taxes - Schedule of Provision for Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Federal statutory rate	$ (8,278)	$ (24,467)
State tax benefit	(1,740)	(3,825)
Change in valuation allowance	787	102,583
Share-based compensation expense	9,072	7,532
State rate true-up	291	2,513
Establishment of NOLs and credits, post-Section 382 ownership change		(81,368)
Research and development credits	(173)	(2,599)
Foreign rate differential		(62)
Other permanent differences	$ 41	$ (307)

Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Establishment Of NOLs And Credits

No definition available.

Name:	ljpc_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationEstablishmentOfNOLsAndCredits
Namespace Prefix:	ljpc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, State Rate True-Up

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ljpc_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationStateRateTrueUp
Namespace Prefix:	ljpc_
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

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-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_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential
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://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-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_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of reported income tax expense (benefit) in excess of (less than) expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying domestic federal statutory income tax rate to pretax income (loss) from continuing operation, attributable to nondeductible expense for award under share-based payment arrangement. Includes, but is not limited to, expense determined to be nondeductible upon grant or after for award under share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationNondeductibleExpenseShareBasedCompensationCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
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 tax exempt income, equity in earnings (loss) of an unconsolidated subsidiary, minority noncontrolling interest income (loss), tax holiday, disposition of a business, disposition of an asset, repatriation of foreign earnings, repatriation of foreign earnings jobs creation act of 2004, increase (decrease) in enacted tax rate, prior year income taxes, increase (decrease) in deferred tax asset valuation allowance, and other adjustments.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes
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