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

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2017-02-17</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <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>Former member, 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>

    <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 4 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.

On February 17, 2017, ABG Management Limited delivered a notice to the other members of the Consortium (&quot;Termination Notice&quot;) to withdraw from the Consortium, and the Consortium Agreement was thereby terminated with respect to ABG Management Limited, as described in that certain statement on Schedule 13D filed on February 17, 2017. As a result, the Reporting Persons are no longer party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with respect to securities of the Issuer that might deem them to be in a &quot;group&quot; for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Reporting Persons together do not beneficially own more than 10% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock.</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Ally Bridge LB Healthcare Master Fund Limited, /s/ Bin Li, Director</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-02-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Ally Bridge LB Management Limited, /s/ Bin Li, Director</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-02-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>ABG Management Limited, /s/ Fan Yu, Director</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-02-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Fan Yu</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-02-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Bin Li</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-02-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
