Debt Financing - Narrative (Detail) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions				1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 14, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 08, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 09, 2015 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 07, 2015	Oct. 30, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate					2.00%		2.00%
Repayment of outstanding loans						$ 4,010,000
Termination fee					$ 300,000
Additional cash deposited as collateral under SVB Loan and Security Agreement		$ 600,000
Long-term debt in default					25,000,000		$ 25,000,000
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 15,000,000
Debt Instrument, Increase, Accrued Interest					10,000
Multiples of principal amount				$ 1,000
Revolving Line [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Termination fee					500,000
Convertible Bond Hedge [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount of convertible notes issued					$ 325,000,000
Initial conversion price per share | $ / shares					$ 41.175
Number of Shares | shares					7.9
Warrant [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Issuance of warrants					$ 60,500,000
Aggregate principal amount of convertible notes issued					$ 325,000,000
Number of common stock under warrant transactions | shares					7.9
Maximum number of common shares issuable for warrant transactions | shares					15.8
Exercise price of share issued on warrants | $ / shares					$ 53.375
Increase to additional paid in capital due to issuance of warrants					$ 60,500,000
2015 Term Loan Advance [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of debt instrument			$ 25,000,000
Debt instrument, interest rate			3.00%					8.00%	3.00%
Repayment period of term loan			30 months
Term loan maturity date start			Feb. 01, 2017
Term loan maturity date description			on the 2015 Term Loan Advance through January 31, 2017, and, starting on February 1, 2017, payment of principal in 30 equal monthly installments, plus accrued interest. The maturity date of the 2015 Term Loan Advance is the earlier of (a) July 1, 2019 and (b) the maturity date of the Convertible Notes.
Termination fee					2,000,000
Final payment amount of term loan			$ 1,250,000
Prepayment Premium Due on Outstanding Amount			1.00%
Amount of aggregate principal for which holders and Trustees may deliver notice of default				25
Default period (in days)				30 days
Percentage of Trustees and holders				25
2015 Term Loan Advance [Member] | Silicon Valley Bank [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayment of outstanding loans			$ 4,000,000
Cash collateral account for letters of credit, amount					500,000
Convertible 2.0% Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of debt instrument				$ 325,000,000	$ 325,000,000		$ 325,000,000
Debt instrument, interest rate				2.00%
Aggregate principal amount of convertible notes issued				$ 325,000,000
Net proceeds received from sale of convertible notes				316,600,000
Fees and expenses related to issuance convertible notes				$ 8,400,000
Debt instrument interest rate terms				The Convertible Notes are senior unsecured obligations and bear interest at a rate of 2.0% per year, payable semi-annually in arrears on February 15 and August 15 of each year, beginning on February 15, 2015.
Convertible notes maturity date				Aug. 15, 2019
Debt instrument conversion description				The Convertible Notes will be convertible into shares of the Company's common stock at an initial conversion rate of 24.2866 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the Convertible Notes, which corresponds to an initial conversion price of approximately $41.175 per share of the Company's common stock.
Debt instrument conversion ratio				24.2866
Conversion amount of the convertible notes				$ 1,000
Initial conversion price per share | $ / shares				$ 41.175
Minimum percentage of principal amount of outstanding convertible note to declare redemption				25.00%
Percentage of principal amount payable at event of default				100.00%
Period to resolve default				180 days
Amortization period for interest expenses					5 years
Debt issuance costs					$ 8,400,000
Equity component of deferred financing costs for convertible debt					3,000,000
Debt issuance costs allocated to liability component					$ 5,400,000
Expected life of the debt					5 years
Debt instrument, effective interest rate					11.53%
Convertible 2.0% Senior Notes [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Payments for repurchase of common stock				$ 35,000,000
Convertible 2.0% Senior Notes [Member] | Convertible Bond Hedge [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Payments for net cost of convertible bond hedges				$ 26,100,000
QLT Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate	8.00%
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 15,000,000
Line of credit facility, outstanding amount	3,000,000
Line of Credit, Additional Amount Borrowable per Month	3,000,000
Minimum Unrestricted Cash Balance to be Maintained	$ 25,000,000
Prepayment Premium Due on Outstanding Amount	2.00%
Standstill Period	60 days
Increase in Interest Rate if Cash Payments are Prohibited due to Subordination Agreement	15.00%
Increase in Interest Rate if Default Exists	5.00%
QLT Loan [Member] | Aegerion Pharmaceuticals [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of Days Loans Mature if the Merger Agreement is Terminated	3 days
QLT Loan [Member] | QLT Inc. [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of Days Loans Mature if the Merger Agreement is Terminated	90 days