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New Facility (Details) (USD $) In Millions	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010 Land
New facility
Cost of new facility	$ 58.8	$ 10.1

X

- Definition

Gross amount, at the balance sheet date, of long-lived physical assets related to the construction of a new facility.

+ Details

Name:	isis_ConstructionFacilityGross
Namespace Prefix:	isis
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Details

Name:	isis_ConstructionFacilityLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	isis
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration