Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Equity Compensation Plans	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment	Public Placement	Public Offering Of Common Stock And Warrants 2019	Registered Direct Offering 2019	2019 Warrants	December 2019 Warrants	Semnur	SmartPharm	ACEA Therapeutics, Inc	Common Stock	Common Stock Equity Compensation Plans	Common Stock Public Placement	Common Stock Public Offering Of Common Stock And Warrants 2019	Common Stock Registered Direct Offering 2019	Common Stock SmartPharm	Common Stock ACEA Therapeutics, Inc	Treasury Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Additional Paid-in Capital Equity Compensation Plans	Additional Paid-in Capital Public Placement	Additional Paid-in Capital Public Offering Of Common Stock And Warrants 2019	Additional Paid-in Capital Registered Direct Offering 2019	Additional Paid-in Capital 2019 Warrants	Additional Paid-in Capital December 2019 Warrants	Additional Paid-in Capital Semnur	Additional Paid-in Capital SmartPharm	Additional Paid-in Capital ACEA Therapeutics, Inc	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Accumulated Deficit	Noncontrolling Interest	Noncontrolling Interest Semnur
Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 207,500											$ 13							$ (49,464)	$ 626,658										$ 15	$ (367,750)	$ 1,972
Balance, shares (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018												122,281,000							7,568,000
Accounting Standards Update [Extensible List]			us-gaap:AccountingStandardsUpdate201409Member
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options	492																			492
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options (in shares)												268,000
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of warrants	8,359																			8,359
Issuance of common stock upon issuance of warrants (in shares)												3,128,000
Issuance of common stock, net				$ 990	$ 23,323	$ 23,385									$ 1	$ 1						$ 990	$ 23,322	$ 23,384
Issuance of common stock, net (in shares)														259,000	8,333,000	10,870,000
Issuance of common stock, conversion of notes payable	53,983								$ 54,591			$ 3								53,980							$ 27,991						$ 26,600
Issuance of common stock, conversion of notes payable (in shares)												22,660,000
Warrants issued in connection with convertible notes							$ 4,288	$ 6,010																	$ 4,288	$ 6,010
Adjustment to noncontrolling interest	484																															484
Stock-based compensation	12,648																			12,648
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(285)																													285
Net Income (loss)	(363,012)																														(292,068)	(70,944)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2019	32,756											$ 18							$ (49,464)	788,122										(270)	(659,818)	(45,832)
Balance, shares (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019												167,799,000							7,568,000
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options	5,578																			5,578
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options (in shares)												1,339,000
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of warrants	92,773											$ 3								92,770
Issuance of common stock upon issuance of warrants (in shares)												33,091,000
Issuance of common stock upon acquisition	9,544									$ 19,421																	$ 9,544	$ 19,421
Issuance of common stock upon acquisition (in shares)												1,997,000					1,832,000
Issuance of common stock, net	317,865											$ 7								317,858
Issuance of common stock, net (in shares)												69,228
Adjustment to noncontrolling interest	790
Changes to noncontrolling interests from increased ownership in Scilex Holding	(55,005)																			(92,366)												37,361
Stock-based compensation	31,419																			31,419
Foreign currency translation adjustment	790																													790
Net Income (loss)	(314,410)				$ (314,410)																										(298,461)	(15,949)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2020	$ 140,731											$ 28							$ (49,464)	1,172,346										520	(958,279)	(24,420)
Balance, shares (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020												275,286,000							7,568,000
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options (in shares)	1,176,111
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of warrants	$ 9,050											$ 1								9,049
Issuance of common stock upon issuance of warrants (in shares)												2,550,000
Issuance of common stock upon acquisition	13,690										$ 42,168	$ 1								13,689									$ 42,168
Issuance of common stock upon acquisition (in shares)												1,565,000						5,519,000
Issuance of common stock, net	201,826	$ 10,218										$ 2								201,824	$ 10,218
Issuance of common stock, net (in shares)												25,483,000	1,603,000
Changes to noncontrolling interests from increased ownership in Scilex Holding	0																			(23,963)												23,963
Changes to noncontrolling interests from increased ownership in Scilex Holding (in shares)												2,567,000
Other changes to noncontrolling interests	651																															651
Stock-based compensation	88,427																			88,427
Foreign currency translation adjustment	506																													506
Net Income (loss)	(429,138)																														(428,325)	(813)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2021	$ 78,129											$ 32							$ (49,464)	$ 1,513,758										$ 1,026	$ (1,386,604)	$ (619)
Balance, shares (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2021												314,573,000							7,568,000