<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0206</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>3</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2016-02-22</periodOfReport>

    <noSecuritiesOwned>0</noSecuritiesOwned>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000880771</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>SCICLONE PHARMACEUTICALS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>SCLN</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001667354</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Ally Bridge LB Healthcare Master Fund Ltd</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>UNIT 3002-3004,30TH FLR,GLOUCESTER TOWER</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>THE LANDMARK, 15 QUEEN?S ROAD CENTRAL</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>HONG KONG</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState></rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode></rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>Member of 10% owner group</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001668028</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Ally Bridge LB Management Ltd</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>UNIT 3002-3004,30TH FLR,GLOUCESTER TOWER</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>THE LANDMARK, 15 QUEEN?S ROAD CENTRAL</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>HONG KONG</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState></rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode></rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See Remarks</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001668027</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ABG Management Ltd</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>UNIT 3002-3004,30TH FLR,GLOUCESTER TOWER</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>THE LANDMARK,15 QUEEN?S ROAD CENTRAL</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>HONG KONG</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState></rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode></rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See Remarks</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001668029</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Yu Fan</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>UNIT 3002-3004,30TH FLR,GLOUCESTER TOWER</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>THE LANDMARK,15 QUEEN?S ROAD CENTRAL</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>HONG KONG</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState></rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode></rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See Remarks</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001668219</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Li Bin</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>UNIT 3002-3004,30TH FLR,GLOUCESTER TOWER</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>THE LANDMARK,15 QUEEN?S ROAD CENTRAL</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>HONG KONG</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState></rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode></rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See Remarks</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>678077</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes></footnotes>

    <remarks>Ally Bridge LB Healthcare Master Fund Limited (the &quot;Master Fund&quot;) directly owns 678,077 shares of Common Stock.  Ally Bridge LB Management Limited (&quot;LB Management&quot;) owns the sole voting share of the Master Fund.  Mr. Fan Yu and Mr. Bin Li are the shareholders and directors of LB Management, and Mr. Yu is the shareholder and director of ABG Management Limited.  LB Management, by virtue of it being the holder of the sole voting share of the Master Fund, and each of Mr. Yu and Mr. Li, by virtue of being a shareholder and director of LB Management, may be deemed to have voting control and investment discretion over the shares held by the Master Fund.  Each of LB Management, ABG Management Limited, Mr. Yu and Mr. Li disclaims beneficial ownership of such securities and this Form 3 shall not be deemed an admission that any of them is the beneficial owner of, or has any pecuniary interest in, such securities for any purposes.

By virtue of the Consortium Agreement and transactions described in that certain statement on Schedule 13D filed on February 22, 2016, by the Reporting Persons, pursuant to Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the &quot;Exchange Act&quot;), the Reporting Persons, GL Capital, Jade Park Investments Limited and Bank of China Group Investment Limited and certain of their respective affiliates may, based on facts described elsewhere in the Schedule 13D, be considered to be a &quot;group&quot;. Neither the filing of this Form 3 nor any of its contents shall be deemed to constitute an admission by the Reporting Persons that any of them is the beneficial owner of any Common Stock as may be beneficially owned by GL Capital, Jade Park Investments Limited or Bank of China Group Investment Limited or any of their respective affiliates for purposes of Section 16 of the Exchange Act or for any other purpose, and such beneficial ownership is expressly disclaimed.</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Ally Bridge LB Healthcare Master Fund Limited, /s/ Bin Li, Director</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-03-01</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Ally Bridge LB Management Limited, /s/ Bin Li, Director</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-03-01</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>ABG Management Limited, /s/ Fan Yu, Director</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-03-01</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Fan Yu</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-03-01</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Bin Li</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-03-01</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
