COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Details) (USD $) Share data in Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended					72 Months Ended	84 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2012	Aug. 31, 2011	Aug. 31, 2010	Aug. 31, 2009	Aug. 31, 2008	Aug. 31, 2011	Aug. 31, 2012
Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Period considered for contingent consideration	5 years
Annual maintenance fees	$ 15,000
Amount obligated to secure in funding by entity	1,000,000						1,000,000
Proceeds from private placement		0	0		10,000,000	310,000	310,000
Annual obligation towards development of products	200,000						200,000
Development of products	20,900,000	11,300,000	6,200,000	4,100,000
Minimum future lease payments under this operating lease [Abstract]
Fiscal year ending August 31, 2013	9,000						9,000
Fiscal year ending August 31, 2014	9,000						9,000
Fiscal year ending August 31, 2015	5,000						5,000
Fiscal year ending August 31, 2016	0						0
Fiscal 2017 and thereafter	0						0
Total future payments on operating leases	23,000						23,000
Lease expiration date	Mar. 30, 2012
Lease term of photo copier	39 months						39 months
Capital lease interest rate (in hundredths)	6.00%
Minimum future obligations under research and development and purchase commitments [Abstract]
Fiscal year ending August 31, 2013	7,329,000						7,329,000
Fiscal year ending August 31, 2014	2,254,000						2,254,000
Fiscal year ending August 31, 2015	320,000						320,000
Fiscal year ending August 31, 2016	444,000						444,000
Fiscal 2017 and thereafter	244,000						244,000
Total research and development and purchase commitments	10,591,000						10,591,000
Total due in fiscal year ending August 31, 2013	7,338,000						7,338,000
Total due in fiscal year ending August 31, 2014	2,263,000						2,263,000
Total due in fiscal year ending August 31, 2015	325,000						325,000
Total due in fiscal year ending August 31, 2016	444,000						444,000
Total due in fiscal 2017 and thereafter	244,000						244,000
Total future commitments	10,614,000						10,614,000
Minimum [Member]
Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Milestone payments for orphan indications	20,000
Milestone payments for non-orphan indications	80,000
Royalties on commercial net sales percentage (in hundredths)	1.75%
Sublicense fees specified as percentage of sublicense royalties (in hundredths)	25.00%
Period in which milestone payments obligated to be fulfilled	9 months
Maximum [Member]
Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Milestone payments for orphan indications	750,000
Milestone payments for non-orphan indications	1,500,000
Royalties on commercial net sales percentage (in hundredths)	5.50%
Sublicense fees specified as percentage of sublicense royalties (in hundredths)	50.00%
Period in which milestone payments obligated to be fulfilled	6 years
Various development activities [Member]
Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Contingent payments due upon achievement of certain milestones	18,000,000
NDA for cystionsis approval [Member] | Milestone Four [Member]
Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Milestone payments based upon initiation of clinical trials	750,000
MAA for cystinosis approval [Member] | Milestone Three [Member]
Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Milestone payments based upon initiation of clinical trials	500,000
Encode Pharmaceuticals Inc [Member] | Certain triggering events [Member]
Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Additional shares to be issued based on certain triggering events (in shares)	559
Encode Pharmaceuticals Inc [Member] | Certain triggering events [Member] | Milestone One [Member]
Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Period considered for contingent consideration	5 years
UCSD [Member] | Milestone One [Member]
Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Milestone payments upon the achievement of events	910,000
UCSD [Member] | Milestone Two [Member]
Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Milestone payments upon the achievement of events	$ 250,000