Business and Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Business and Basis of Presentation	Business and Basis of Presentation Business: Akorn, Inc., together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively “Akorn,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us”) is a specialty generic pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets generic and branded prescription pharmaceuticals and branded and private-label over-the-counter (“OTC”) consumer health products and animal health pharmaceuticals. We are an industry leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of specialized generic pharmaceutical products in alternative dosage forms. We specialize in difficult-to-manufacture sterile and non-sterile dosage forms including, but not limited to, ophthalmics, injectables, oral liquids, otics, topicals, inhalants and nasal sprays. In previous years, the Company completed numerous mergers, acquisitions, product acquisitions, which resulted in significant growth. Akorn is a Louisiana corporation founded in 1971 in Abita Springs, Louisiana. In 1997, we relocated our corporate headquarters to the Chicago, Illinois area and currently maintain our principal corporate offices in Lake Forest, Illinois. We operate pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Decatur, Illinois; Somerset, New Jersey; Amityville, New York; Hettlingen, Switzerland; and Paonta Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India. We operate a central distribution warehouse in Gurnee, Illinois and additional distribution facilities in Amityville, New York and Decatur, Illinois. Our research and development (“R&D”) centers are located in Vernon Hills, Illinois and Cranbury, New Jersey. We maintain other corporate offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Gurgaon, Haryana, India. Fresenius Kabi AG: On April 24, 2017, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Fresenius Kabi AG, a German stock corporation (“Parent”), Quercus Acquisition, Inc., a Louisiana corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”) and, solely for purposes of Article VIII thereof, Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, a German partnership limited by shares. On April 22, 2018, Fresenius Kabi AG delivered to Akorn a letter purporting to terminate the Merger Agreement. On April 23, 2018, Akorn filed a verified complaint entitled Akorn, Inc. v. Fresenius Kabi AG, Quercus Acquisition, Inc. and Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware for breach of contract and declaratory judgment. The complaint sought, among other things, a declaration that Fresenius Kabi AG's termination was invalid, an order enjoining the defendants from terminating the Merger Agreement, and an order compelling the defendants to specifically perform their obligations under the Merger Agreement to use reasonable best efforts to consummate and make effective the Merger. On April 30, 2018, the defendants filed a verified counterclaim alleging that, due primarily to purported data integrity deficiencies, the Company had breached representations, warranties and covenants in the Merger Agreement, and that it had experienced a material adverse effect. The verified counterclaim sought, among other things, a declaration that defendants’ purported termination of the Merger Agreement was valid and that defendants were not obligated to consummate the transaction, and damages. On October 1, 2018, the Court of Chancery issued an opinion (the “Opinion”) denying Akorn’s claims for relief and concluding that Fresenius Kabi AG had validly terminated the Merger Agreement. The Court of Chancery concluded that Akorn had experienced a material adverse effect due to its financial performance following the signing of the Merger Agreement; that Akorn had breached representations and warranties in the Merger Agreement and that those breaches would reasonably be expected to give rise to a material adverse effect; that Akorn had materially breached covenants in the Merger Agreement; and that Fresenius was materially in compliance with its own contractual obligations. On October 17, 2018, the Court of Chancery entered partial final judgment against Akorn on its claims and in favor of the Fresenius parties on their claims for declaratory judgment. The Court of Chancery entered an order holding proceedings on the Fresenius parties’ damages claims in abeyance pending the resolution of any appeal from the partial final judgment. On December 7, 2018, the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Chancery’s ruling denying Akorn’s claims for declaratory and injunctive relief and granting Defendants’ counterclaim for a declaration that the termination was valid. On December 27, 2018, the Delaware Supreme Court issued a mandate returning the case to the Court of Chancery for consideration of all remaining issues, including the Fresenius parties’ damages claims. On February 20, 2019, the Fresenius parties filed a motion for leave to amend and supplement their counterclaim. The Fresenius parties’ proposed amended and supplemented counterclaim alleges that Akorn fraudulently induced Fresenius to enter into the Merger Agreement and thereafter willfully breached contractual representations and warranties and covenants therein. It seeks damages of approximately $102 million. On February 25, 2019, Akorn filed an opposition to the Fresenius parties’ motion for leave to file an amended and supplemented counterclaim to the extent the Fresenius parties sought leave to assert a cause of action for fraud. On February 27, 2019, the Fresenius parties filed a reply in further support of their motion to file an amended and supplemented counterclaim. On February 28, 2019, the Court of Chancery denied the Fresenius parties’ motion for leave to file an amended and supplemented counterclaim. See Note 19 – Legal Proceedings. The Company has considered the accounting and disclosure of events occurring after the balance sheet date of December 31, 2018 through the filing date of this Form 10-K. Certain prior-period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current-period presentation including cost of sales, selling, general and administrative expenses, research and development expenses, impairment of intangible assets, litigation rulings and settlements and other non-operating (expense) income, net on the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income, as well as Fin 48 reserve and accrued legal fees and contingencies on the consolidated balance sheet.

Business and Basis of Presentation

Business: Akorn, Inc., together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively “Akorn,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us”) is a specialty generic pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets generic and branded prescription pharmaceuticals and branded and private-label over-the-counter (“OTC”) consumer health products and animal health pharmaceuticals. We are an industry leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of specialized generic pharmaceutical products in alternative dosage forms. We specialize in difficult-to-manufacture sterile and non-sterile dosage forms including, but not limited to, ophthalmics, injectables, oral liquids, otics, topicals, inhalants and nasal sprays. In previous years, the Company completed numerous mergers, acquisitions, product acquisitions, which resulted in significant growth.

Akorn is a Louisiana corporation founded in 1971 in Abita Springs, Louisiana. In 1997, we relocated our corporate headquarters to the Chicago, Illinois area and currently maintain our principal corporate offices in Lake Forest, Illinois. We operate pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Decatur, Illinois; Somerset, New Jersey; Amityville, New York; Hettlingen, Switzerland; and Paonta Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India. We operate a central distribution warehouse in Gurnee, Illinois and additional distribution facilities in Amityville, New York and Decatur, Illinois. Our research and development (“R&D”) centers are located in Vernon Hills, Illinois and Cranbury, New Jersey. We maintain other corporate offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Gurgaon, Haryana, India.

Fresenius Kabi AG: On April 24, 2017, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Fresenius Kabi AG, a German stock corporation (“Parent”), Quercus Acquisition, Inc., a Louisiana corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”) and, solely for purposes of Article VIII thereof, Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, a German partnership limited by shares.

On April 22, 2018, Fresenius Kabi AG delivered to Akorn a letter purporting to terminate the Merger Agreement. On April 23, 2018, Akorn filed a verified complaint entitled Akorn, Inc. v. Fresenius Kabi AG, Quercus Acquisition, Inc. and Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware for breach of contract and declaratory judgment. The complaint sought, among other things, a declaration that Fresenius Kabi AG's termination was invalid, an order enjoining the defendants from terminating the Merger Agreement, and an order compelling the defendants to specifically perform their obligations under the Merger Agreement to use reasonable best efforts to consummate and make effective the Merger. On April 30, 2018, the defendants filed a verified counterclaim alleging that, due primarily to purported data integrity deficiencies, the Company had breached representations, warranties and covenants in the Merger Agreement, and that it had experienced a material adverse effect. The verified counterclaim sought, among other things, a declaration that defendants’ purported termination of the Merger Agreement was valid and that defendants were not obligated to consummate the transaction, and damages.

On October 1, 2018, the Court of Chancery issued an opinion (the “Opinion”) denying Akorn’s claims for relief and concluding that Fresenius Kabi AG had validly terminated the Merger Agreement. The Court of Chancery concluded that Akorn had experienced a material adverse effect due to its financial performance following the signing of the Merger Agreement; that Akorn had breached representations and warranties in the Merger Agreement and that those breaches would reasonably be expected to give rise to a material adverse effect; that Akorn had materially breached covenants in the Merger Agreement; and that Fresenius was materially in compliance with its own contractual obligations. On October 17, 2018, the Court of Chancery entered partial final judgment against Akorn on its claims and in favor of the Fresenius parties on their claims for declaratory judgment. The Court of Chancery entered an order holding proceedings on the Fresenius parties’ damages claims in abeyance pending the resolution of any appeal from the partial final judgment.

On December 7, 2018, the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Chancery’s ruling denying Akorn’s claims for declaratory and injunctive relief and granting Defendants’ counterclaim for a declaration that the termination was valid. On December 27, 2018, the Delaware Supreme Court issued a mandate returning the case to the Court of Chancery for consideration of all remaining issues, including the Fresenius parties’ damages claims.

On February 20, 2019, the Fresenius parties filed a motion for leave to amend and supplement their counterclaim. The Fresenius parties’ proposed amended and supplemented counterclaim alleges that Akorn fraudulently induced Fresenius to enter into the Merger Agreement and thereafter willfully breached contractual representations and warranties and covenants therein. It seeks damages of approximately $102 million. On February 25, 2019, Akorn filed an opposition to the Fresenius parties’ motion for leave to file an amended and supplemented counterclaim to the extent the Fresenius parties sought leave to assert a cause of action for fraud. On February 27, 2019, the Fresenius parties filed a reply in further support of their motion to file an amended and supplemented counterclaim. On February 28, 2019, the Court of Chancery denied the Fresenius parties’ motion for leave to file an amended and supplemented counterclaim. See Note 19 – Legal Proceedings.

The Company has considered the accounting and disclosure of events occurring after the balance sheet date of December 31, 2018 through the filing date of this Form 10-K.

Certain prior-period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current-period presentation including cost of sales, selling, general and administrative expenses, research and development expenses, impairment of intangible assets, litigation rulings and settlements and other non-operating (expense) income, net on the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income, as well as Fin 48 reserve and accrued legal fees and contingencies on the consolidated balance sheet.