Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Tax Credit Carryforward [Line Items]
Unclaimed Tax Deductions Related To Scientific Research And Experimental Development Expenditures	$ 120,388	$ 109,556
Non-capital losses carried forward for tax purposes	$ 197,976	132,604
Tax Credit Carry forward, Expiration Date	Dec. 31, 2041
Unrecognized tax benefits of uncertain tax positions	$ 10,850	$ 10,850
Canadian federal and provincial tax rates	27.00%	27.00%
Canada and United States Revenue Agency [Member] \| Latest Tax Year [Member]
Tax Credit Carryforward [Line Items]
Tax year open for income tax examination	2020
Canada and United States Revenue Agency [Member] \| Earliest Tax Year [Member]
Tax Credit Carryforward [Line Items]
Tax year open for income tax examination	2002
Investment Tax credit [Member]
Tax Credit Carryforward [Line Items]
Tax credit available to offset taxes payable	$ 26,298	$ 24,311
Provincial Tax Credit [Member]
Tax Credit Carryforward [Line Items]
Tax credit available to offset taxes payable	$ 8,168	$ 7,738

Percentage of domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable to pretax income (loss).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 6.I.Fact.4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=122134291&loc=d3e330036-122817

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(h)(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120395691&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 3: 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=121826272&loc=d3e32687-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
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 research tax credit.

+ 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=121826272&loc=d3e32687-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCreditsResearch
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Tax year that remains open to examination under enacted tax laws, in YYYY format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=d3e32718-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OpenTaxYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	dtr-types:gYearListItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of operating loss carryforward, before tax effects, available to reduce future taxable income under enacted tax laws.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=d3e32559-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of the tax credit carryforward, before tax effects, available to reduce future taxable income under enacted tax laws.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Expiration date of the tax credit carryforward, in YYYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardExpirationDate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of unrecognized tax benefits.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 10B
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123427490&loc=SL37586934-109318

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15A
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=SL6600010-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis=xene_CanadaAndUnitedStatesRevenueAgencyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TaxPeriodAxis=us-gaap_LatestTaxYearMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TaxPeriodAxis=us-gaap_EarliestTaxYearMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis=us-gaap_InvestmentCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis=xene_ProvincialTaxCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: