DURECT (DRRX) 10-Q 1 May 15 2015 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Apr. 24, 2015
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-15
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Trading Symbol	DRRX
Entity Registrant Name	DURECT CORP
Entity Central Index Key	1082038
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		119,568,550

Condensed_Balance_Sheets

Condensed Balance Sheets (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$1,989	$2,680
Short-term investments	27,026	30,016
Accounts receivable (net of allowances of $229 at March 31, 2015 and $211 at December 31, 2014)	2,243	2,122
Inventories	3,806	3,642
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,402	1,034
Total current assets	36,466	39,494
Property and equipment (net of accumulated depreciation of $20,749 and $20,607 at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively)	1,615	1,749
Goodwill	6,399	6,399
Long-term investments	500	1,804
Long-term restricted investments	250	350
Other long-term assets	288	288
Total assets	45,518	50,084
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	890	1,021
Accrued liabilities	3,186	5,051
Contract research liabilities	307	358
Deferred revenue, current portion	1,048	538
Current portion of long-term debt, net	1,826
Total current liabilities	7,257	6,968
Deferred revenue, non-current portion	2,608	2,742
Long-term debt, net	18,017	19,824
Other long-term liabilities	2,161	2,035
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock
Common stock	11	11
Additional paid-in capital	403,220	401,322
Accumulated other comprehensive income	2	87
Accumulated deficit	-387,758	-382,905
Stockholders' equity	15,475	18,515
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$45,518	$50,084

Condensed_Balance_Sheets_Paren

Condensed Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Allowances for accounts receivable	$229	$211
Accumulated depreciation on property and equipment	$20,749	$20,607

Condensed_Statements_of_Compre

Condensed Statements of Comprehensive Loss (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Income Statement [Abstract]
Collaborative research and development and other revenue (see Note 2)	$1,738	$3,512
Product revenue, net	3,035	2,781
Total revenues	4,773	6,293
Operating expenses:
Cost of product revenues	1,006	1,063
Research and development	5,367	5,469
Selling, general and administrative	2,820	3,363
Total operating expenses	9,193	9,895
Loss from operations	-4,420	-3,602
Other income (expense):
Interest and other income (expenses)	128	3
Interest expense	-561	-1
Net other income (expense)	-433	2
Net loss	-4,853	-3,600
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities, net of reclassification adjustments and taxes	-85	4
Total comprehensive loss	($4,938)	($3,596)
Net loss per share
Basic	($0.04)	($0.03)
Diluted	($0.04)	($0.03)
Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share
Basic	113,793	110,468
Diluted	113,793	110,468

Condensed_Statements_of_Cash_F

Condensed Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities
Net loss	($4,853)	($3,600)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	144	155
Stock-based compensation	650	726
Amortization of debt issuance cost	19
Realized gain from sale of marketable equity security, net of tax	-117
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	-121	241
Inventories	-165	-9
Prepaid expenses and other assets	-368	-176
Accounts payable	-131	425
Accrued and other liabilities	-729	-285
Contract research liabilities	-51	-127
Deferred revenue	376	-64
Total adjustments	-493	886
Net cash used in operating activities	-5,346	-2,714
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment	-9	-2
Purchases of available-for-sale securities	-2,995	-6,060
Proceeds from maturities of available-for-sale securities	7,243	2,820
Proceeds from sales of short-term investment	178
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	4,417	-3,242
Cash flows from financing activities
Payments on equipment financing obligations	-4	-2
Net proceeds from issuances of common stock	242	92
Net cash provided by financing activities	238	90
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	-691	-5,866
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the period	2,680	7,836
Cash and cash equivalents, end of the period	$1,989	$1,970

Summary_of_Significant_Account

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
	Nature of Operations
	DURECT Corporation (the Company) was incorporated in the state of Delaware on February 6, 1998. The Company is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development of pharmaceuticals based on its proprietary drug delivery technology platforms, new chemical entities derived from its Epigenomic Regulator Program, and its expertise in drug development. The Company has several products under development by itself and with third party collaborators. The Company also manufactures and sells osmotic pumps used in laboratory research, and designs, develops and manufactures a wide range of standard and custom biodegradable polymers and excipients for pharmaceutical and medical device clients for use as raw materials in their products. In addition, the Company conducts research and development of pharmaceutical products in collaboration with third party pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying unaudited financial statements include the accounts of the Company. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and therefore do not include all the information and footnotes necessary for a complete presentation of the Company’s results of operations, financial position and cash flows in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP). The unaudited financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position at March 31, 2015, the operating results and comprehensive loss for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. The balance sheet as of December 31, 2014 has been derived from audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. These financial statements and notes should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements and notes thereto, included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 filed with the SEC.
	The results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full fiscal year.
	Inventories
	Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, with cost determined on a first-in, first-out basis. Inventories, in part, include certain excipients that are sold to customers and included in products awaiting regulatory approval. These inventories are capitalized based on management’s judgment of probable sale prior to their expiration date which in turn is primarily based on non-binding forecasts from our customers as well as management’s internal estimates. The valuation of inventory requires management to estimate the value of inventory that may become expired prior to use. The Company may be required to expense previously capitalized inventory costs upon a change in management’s judgment, due to, among other potential factors, a denial or delay of approval of a customer’s product by the necessary regulatory bodies, or new information that suggests that the inventory will not be saleable. In addition, these circumstances may cause the Company to record a liability related to minimum purchase agreements that the Company has in place for raw materials. In 2014, the Company recorded charges to cost of goods sold of approximately $1.6 million, of which approximately $1.1 million related to the write-down of the cost basis of inventory and $500,000 related to the accrual of a liability for the minimum purchase commitment for the excipients. As of March 31, 2015, the remaining carrying value of the excipients in the Company’s inventory was $1.1 million. In addition, the Company has remaining unrecorded future purchase commitments totaling $2.0 million through 2018. In the event that management determines that the Company will not utilize all of these materials, there could be a potential write-off related to this inventory and/or a reserve for future purchase commitments.
		March 31,			December 31,
		2015			2014
		(unaudited)
	Raw materials	$	1,257		$	1,242
	Work in process		1,254			1,120
	Finished goods		1,295			1,280
	Total inventories	$	3,806		$	3,642
	Revenue Recognition
	Revenue from the sale of products is recognized when there is persuasive evidence that an arrangement exists, the product is shipped and title transfers to customers, provided no continuing obligation on the Company’s part exists, the price is fixed or determinable and the collectability of the amounts owed is reasonably assured. The Company enters into license and collaboration agreements under which it may receive upfront license fees, research funding and contingent milestone payments and royalties. The Company’s deliverables under these arrangements typically consist of granting licenses to intellectual property rights and providing research and development services. The accounting standards contain a presumption that separate contracts entered into at or near the same time with the same entity or related parties were negotiated as a package and should be evaluated as a single agreement.
	Comprehensive Income (Loss) and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
	Components of other comprehensive income (loss) are comprised entirely of unrealized gains and losses on the Company’s available-for-sale securities and marketable equity security for all periods presented. Total comprehensive loss has been disclosed in the Company’s Condensed Statements of Comprehensive Loss.
	The tax effect of the changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) was immaterial for the periods presented. Accumulated other comprehensive income as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 is entirely comprised of net unrealized gains on available-for-sale securities and marketable equity security.
	The following table summarizes changes in the components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax, for the three months ended March 31, 2015 (in thousands):
		Balance at			(Decrease)/		Reclassification			Balance at
		December 31,			Increase		Adjustment			March 31,
		2014								2015
	Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale investments, net of tax	$	(7	)	$	9	$	—		$	2
	Unrealized gain on marketable equity security, net of tax		94			23		(117	)		—
	Total accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax		87			32		(117	)		2
	Net Income (Loss) Per Share
	Basic net income (loss) per share is calculated by dividing the net income (loss) by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted net income (loss) per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding and common stock equivalents (i.e., options to purchase common stock) outstanding during the period, if dilutive, using the treasury stock method for options and warrants.
	Options to purchase approximately 23.3 million and 19.0 million shares of common stock were excluded from the denominator in the calculation of diluted net loss per share for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, as the effect would be anti-dilutive.
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued guidance codified in ASC 606, Revenue Recognition—Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which amends the guidance in former ASC 605, Revenue Recognition. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance provides companies with two implementation methods. Companies can choose to apply the standard retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented (full retrospective application) or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the standard as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings of the annual reporting period that includes the date of initial application (modified retrospective application). The standard will be effective for public entities for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. On April 1, 2015, the FASB voted to propose a delay in the effective date of this guidance. The proposed new effective date will be annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and the interim periods within that year and will allow early adoption for all entities as of the original effective date for public business entities, which was annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the provisions of ASC 606.

Strategic_Agreements

Strategic Agreements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Strategic Agreements	Note 2. Strategic Agreements
	The collaborative research and development and other revenues associated with the Company’s major third-party collaborators are as follows (in thousands):
			Three months ended
			March 31,
			2015		2014
	Collaborator
	Zogenix, Inc. (Zogenix) (1)		$	1,158	$	782
	Santen Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Santen) (2)			307		—
	Impax Laboratories, Inc. (Impax) (3)			—		2,090
	Pain Therapeutics, Inc. (Pain Therapeutics)			—		451
	Pfizer Inc. (Pfizer)			—		14
	Others			273		175
	Total collaborative research and development and other revenue		$	1,738	$	3,512
	-1	Amounts related to ratable recognition of upfront fees were $64,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.
	-2	Amounts related to ratable recognition of upfront fees were $71,000 and zero for three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; the Company and Santen signed a license agreement effective December 11, 2014.
	-3	Amounts related to recognition of upfront fees were zero and $2.0 million for three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; the Company and Impax signed a license agreement effective January 3, 2014.
	Agreement with Pain Therapeutics, Inc.
	In December 2002, the Company entered into an exclusive agreement with Pain Therapeutics, Inc. (Pain Therapeutics) to develop and commercialize on a worldwide basis REMOXY and other oral sustained release, abuse deterrent opioid products incorporating four specified opioid drugs, using the ORADUR technology. Total collaborative research and development revenue recognized under the agreements with Pain Therapeutics was zero and $451,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. In the first quarter of 2015, Pain Therapeutics notified the Company that they intend to return to the Company all of Pain Therapeutics’ rights and obligations under the Company’s license agreement to develop and commercialize ORADUR-based formulations of oxymorphone and hydrocodone but without impacting the rights and obligations of the two parties with respect to REMOXY and hydromorphone. Under the agreement with Pain Therapeutics, subject to and upon the achievement of predetermined development and regulatory milestones for the two drug candidates, the Company is entitled to receive milestone payments of up to $5.1 million in the aggregate. The cumulative aggregate payments received by the Company from Pain Therapeutics as of March 31, 2015 were $37.7 million under this agreement.
	Under the terms of this agreement, Pain Therapeutics paid the Company an upfront license fee of $1.0 million, with the potential for an additional $5.1 million in performance milestone payments based on the successful development and approval of the two ORADUR-based opioids. Of these potential milestones, all $5.1 million are development-based milestones. As of March 31, 2015, the Company had received $1.7 million in cumulative milestone payments. There are no sales-based milestones under the agreement.
	In March 2009, King Pharmaceuticals (King) assumed the responsibility for further development of REMOXY from Pain Therapeutics. As a result of this change, the Company continues to perform REMOXY-related activities in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the license agreement between the Company and Pain Therapeutics. King was substituted in lieu of Pain Therapeutics with respect to interactions with the Company in its performance of those activities including the obligation to pay the Company with respect to all REMOXY-related costs incurred by the Company. In February 2011, Pfizer acquired King and thereby assumed the rights and obligations of King with respect to REMOXY; accordingly, amounts attributed to King are now shown as Pfizer figures. In October 2014, Pfizer notified Pain Therapeutics that Pfizer had decided to discontinue development of REMOXY, and that Pfizer would return all rights, including responsibility for regulatory activities, to Pain Therapeutics and that Pfizer will continue ongoing activities under the agreement until the scheduled termination date in April 2015.
	Total collaborative research and development revenue recognized for REMOXY-related work performed by the Company for Pfizer was zero and $14,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Prior to March 2009, the Company recognized collaborative research and development revenue for REMOXY-related work under the agreements with Pain Therapeutics. The cumulative aggregate payments received by the Company from Pfizer as of March 31, 2015 were $7.1 million under this agreement.
	Long Term Supply Agreement with King (now Pfizer)
	In August 2009, the Company signed an exclusive long term excipient supply agreement with respect to REMOXY with King. In February 2011, Pfizer acquired King and thereby assumed the rights and obligations of King with respect to this long term supply agreement. This agreement stipulates the terms and conditions under which the Company will supply to King, based on the Company’s manufacturing cost plus a specified percentage mark-up, two key excipients used in the manufacture of REMOXY.
	The term of the agreement commenced on August 5, 2009 and will continue in effect until the earlier of the expiration of all licenses granted under the development and license agreement between the Company and Pain Therapeutics or the termination or expiration of the 2005 development and license agreement between Pain Therapeutics and King, unless the agreement is terminated earlier in accordance with its terms. The agreement provides each party with specified termination rights, which include, but are not limited to, the right of King to terminate the agreement in the event that governmental action requires the withdrawal of REMOXY from all countries in the territory or results in the withdrawal of required manufacturing approvals, or upon a change of control of the Company, in which case termination will be effective one year after notice by King. The Company may terminate the agreement if the Company is unable to procure suitable and sufficient quantities of certain raw materials required to produce the excipient ingredients. Each party may terminate the agreement upon material breach of the agreement by, or the bankruptcy or insolvency of, the other party, in each case subject to a cure period. The agreement further specifies the rights and obligations of the Company and King with respect to plant allocation, adding additional production capacity and sourcing of raw materials, as well as other terms and conditions customary for this type of agreement, including those regarding forecasting, purchasing, invoicing, representations, warranties and indemnities.
	Total revenues recognized related to these excipients were $96,000 and zero in the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The associated cost of goods sold was $51,000 and zero in the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
	Agreement with Zogenix, Inc.
	On July 11, 2011, the Company and Zogenix, Inc., (Zogenix), entered into a Development and License Agreement (the Zogenix Agreement). The Company and Zogenix had previously been working together under a feasibility agreement pursuant to which the Company’s research and development costs were reimbursed by Zogenix. Under the Zogenix Agreement, Zogenix will be responsible for the clinical development and commercialization of a proprietary, long-acting injectable formulation of risperidone using the Company’s SABER controlled-release formulation technology in combination with Zogenix’s DosePro® needle-free, subcutaneous drug delivery system. DURECT will be responsible for non-clinical, formulation and CMC development activities. The Company will be reimbursed by Zogenix for its research and development efforts on the product.
	Zogenix paid a non-refundable upfront fee to the Company of $2.25 million in July 2011. The Company’s research and development services are considered integral to utilizing the licensed intellectual property and, accordingly, the deliverables are accounted for as a single unit of accounting. The $2.25 million upfront fee will be recognized as collaborative research and development revenue ratably over the term of the Company’s continuing research and development involvement with Zogenix with respect to this product candidate. Zogenix is obligated to pay the Company up to $103 million in total future milestone payments with respect to the product subject to and upon the achievement of various developments, regulatory and sales milestones. Of these potential milestones, $28 million are development-based milestones (none of which has been achieved as of March 31, 2015), and $75 million are sales-based milestones (none of which has been achieved as of March 31, 2015). Zogenix is also required to pay a mid single-digit to low double-digit percentage patent royalty on annual net sales of the product determined on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis. The patent royalty term is equal to the later of the expiration of all DURECT technology patents or joint patent rights in a particular jurisdiction, the expiration of marketing exclusivity rights in such jurisdiction, or 15 years from first commercial sale in such jurisdiction. After the patent royalty term, Zogenix will continue to pay royalties on annual net sales of the product at a reduced rate for so long as Zogenix continues to sell the product in the jurisdiction. Zogenix is also required to pay to the Company a tiered percentage of fees received in connection with any sublicense of the licensed rights.
	The Company granted to Zogenix an exclusive worldwide license, with sub-license rights, to the Company’s intellectual property rights related to the Company’s proprietary polymeric and non-polymeric controlled-release formulation technology to make and have made, use, offer for sale, sell and import risperidone products, where risperidone is the sole active agent, for administration by injection in the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or other psychiatric related disorders in humans. The Company retains the right to supply Zogenix’s Phase III clinical trial and commercial product requirements on the terms set forth in the Zogenix Agreement. Zogenix may terminate the Zogenix Agreement without cause at any time upon prior written notice, and either party may terminate the Zogenix Agreement upon certain circumstances including written notice of a material uncured breach.
	The following table provides a summary of collaborative research and development revenue recognized under the agreements with Zogenix (in thousands). The cumulative aggregate payments received by the Company as of March 31, 2015 were $15.7 million under these agreements.
			Three months ended
			March 31,
			2015		2014
	Ratable recognition of upfront payment		$	64	$	64
	Research and development expenses reimbursable by Zogenix			1,094		718
	Total collaborative research and development revenue		$	1,158	$	782
	Agreement with Impax Laboratories, Inc.
	On January 3, 2014, the Company and Impax Laboratories, Inc. (Impax) entered into a definitive agreement (the Impax Agreement). Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company has granted Impax an exclusive worldwide license to the Company’s proprietary TRANSDUR transdermal delivery technology and other intellectual property to develop and commercialize ELADUR, the Company’s investigational transdermal bupivacaine patch for the treatment of pain associated with post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), in addition to selling certain assets and rights in and related to the product. Impax will control and fund the development and commercialization programs, and the parties will establish a joint management committee to oversee, review and coordinate the development and commercialization activities of the parties under the Impax Agreement. Impax will reimburse the Company for certain future research and development it may be requested to conduct on the product.
	In connection with the Agreement, Impax paid a non-refundable upfront fee to the Company of $2.0 million in January 2014. The Company’s technology transfer activities were considered integral to utilizing the licensed intellectual property and, accordingly, the deliverables were accounted for as a single unit of accounting. The $2.0 million upfront fee was recognized as collaborative research and development revenue in the first quarter of 2014 when the license to the intellectual property right was delivered and the technology transfer with respect to this product candidate was completed. Impax agreed to make contingent cash payments to the Company of up to $61.0 million payable based upon the achievement of predefined milestones, of which $31.0 million are development-based milestones and $30.0 million are sales-based milestones (none of which has been achieved as of March 31, 2015). Since the milestones are expected to be achieved at a point in time when there are no performance obligations or remaining deliverables of the Company, the milestones are expected to be recognized in full upon achievement. Upon the first commercialization of ELADUR by Impax, the Company would also receive a tiered mid single-digit to low double-digit royalty on annual net product sales determined on a country-by-country basis. Impax is also required to pay to the Company a percentage of fees received in connection with any sublicense of the licensed rights. Impax may terminate the Impax Agreement without cause at any time upon prior written notice, and either party may terminate the Impax Agreement upon certain circumstances including written notice of a material uncured breach.
	The following table provides a summary of collaborative research and development revenue recognized under the Impax Agreement (in thousands). The cumulative aggregate payments received by the Company as of March 31, 2015 were $2.1 million under the agreement.
			Three months ended
			March 31,
			2015		2014
	Recognition of upfront payment		$	—	$	2,000
	Research and development expenses reimbursable by Impax			—		90
	Total collaborative research and development revenue		$	—	$	2,090
	Agreement with Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
	On December 11, 2014, the Company and Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Santen) entered into a definitive agreement (the Santen Agreement). Pursuant to the Santen Agreement, the Company granted Santen an exclusive worldwide license to the Company’s proprietary SABER formulation platform and other intellectual property to develop and commercialize a sustained release product utilizing the Company’s SABER technology to deliver an ophthalmology drug. Santen will control and fund the development and commercialization program, and the parties will establish a joint management committee to oversee, review and coordinate the development activities of the parties under the Santen Agreement.
	In connection with the Santen agreement, Santen agreed to pay the Company an upfront fee of $2.0 million in cash and to make contingent cash payments to the Company of up to $76.0 million upon the achievement of certain milestones, of which $13.0 million are development-based milestones and $63.0 million are commercialization-based milestones including milestones requiring the achievement of certain product sales targets (none of which has been achieved as of March 31, 2015). Santen will also pay for certain Company costs incurred in the development of the licensed product. If the product is commercialized, the Company would also receive a tiered royalty on annual net product sales ranging from single-digit to the low double digits, determined on a country-by-country basis. Santen may terminate the Santen Agreement without cause at any time upon prior written notice, and either party may terminate the Santen Agreement upon certain circumstances including written notice of a material uncured breach. As of March 31, 2015, the cumulative aggregate payments received by the Company under this agreement were $2.4 million.
	The following table provides a summary of collaborative research and development revenue recognized under the Santen Agreement (in thousands).
			Three months ended
			March 31,
			2015		2014
	Ratable recognition of upfront payment		$	71	$	—
	Research and development expenses reimbursable by Santen			236		—
	Total collaborative research and development revenue		$	307	$	—

Financial_Instruments

Financial Instruments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Financial Instruments	Note 3. Financial Instruments
	Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. The Company’s valuation techniques used to measure fair value maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The Company follows a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, that may be used to measure fair value. These levels of inputs are the following:
		•		Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
		•		Level 2—Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.
		•		Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.
	The Company’s financial instruments are valued using quoted prices in active markets or based upon other observable inputs. Money market funds are classified as Level 1 financial assets. Certificates of deposit, commercial paper, corporate debt securities, and U.S. Government agency securities are classified as Level 2 financial assets. The fair value of the Level 2 assets is estimated using pricing models using current observable market information for similar securities. The Company’s Level 2 investments include U.S. government-backed securities and corporate securities that are valued based upon observable inputs that may include benchmark yields, reported trades, broker/dealer quotes, issuer spreads, two-sided markets, benchmark securities, bids, offers and reference data including market research publications. The fair value of the Company’s commercial paper is based upon the time to maturity and discounted using the three-month treasury bill rate. The average remaining maturity of the Company’s Level 2 investments as of March 31, 2015 is less than twelve months and these investments are rated by S&P and Moody’s at AAA or AA- for securities and A1 or P1 for commercial paper.
	The following is a summary of available-for-sale securities as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (in thousands):
			March 31, 2015
			Amortized		Unrealized		Unrealized			Estimated
			Cost		Gain		Loss			Fair
										Value
	Money market funds		$	32	$	—	$	—		$	32
	Certificates of deposit			250		—		—			250
	Commercial paper			749		—		—			749
	Corporate debt			6,647		2		(3	)		6,646
	U.S. Government agencies			20,128		3		—			20,131
			$	27,806	$	5	$	(3	)	$	27,808
	Reported as:
	Cash and cash equivalents		$	32	$	—	$	—		$	32
	Short-term investments			27,024		5		(3	)		27,026
	Long-term investments			500		—		—			500
	Long-term restricted investments			250		—		—			250
			$	27,806	$	5	$	(3	)	$	27,808
			December 31, 2014
			Amortized		Unrealized		Unrealized			Estimated
			Cost		Gain		Loss			Fair
										Value
	Money market funds		$	1,558	$	—	$	—		$	1,558
	Certificates of deposit			350		—		—			350
	Marketable equity security			—		155		—			155
	Commercial paper			1,250		—		—			1,250
	Corporate debt			7,744		—		(4	)		7,740
	U.S. Government agencies			22,678		2		(5	)		22,675
			$	33,580	$	157	$	(9	)	$	33,728
	Reported as:
	Cash and cash equivalents		$	1,558	$	—	$	—		$	1,558
	Short-term investments			29,867		157		(8	)		30,016
	Long-term investments			1,805		—		(1	)		1,804
	Long-term restricted investments			350		—		—			350
			$	33,580	$	157	$	(9	)	$	33,728
	The following is a summary of the cost and estimated fair value of available-for-sale securities at March 31, 2015, by contractual maturity (in thousands):
			March 31, 2015
			Amortized		Estimated
			Cost		Fair
					Value
	Mature in one year or less		$	27,274	$	27,276
	Mature after one year through five years			500		500
			$	27,774	$	27,776
	There were no securities that have had an unrealized loss for more than 12 months as of March 31, 2015.
	As of March 31, 2015, unrealized losses on available-for-sale investments are not attributed to credit risk and are considered to be temporary. The Company believes that it is more-likely-than-not that investments in an unrealized loss position will be held until maturity or the recovery of the cost basis of the investment. To date, the Company has not recorded any impairment charges on marketable securities related to other-than-temporary declines in market value.

StockBased_Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation	Note 4. Stock-Based Compensation
	As of March 31, 2015, the Company has three stock-based compensation plans. The stock-based compensation cost that has been included in the statements of comprehensive loss is shown as below (in thousands):
		Three months ended
		March 31,
		2015			2014
	Cost of product revenues	$	29		$	37
	Research and development		351			415
	Selling, general and administrative		270			274
	Total stock-based compensation	$	650		$	726
	As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, $11,000 and $13,000 of stock-based compensation cost was capitalized in inventory on the Company’s balance sheets, respectively.
	The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to value its stock options. The expected life computation is based on historical exercise patterns and post-vesting termination behavior. The Company considered its historical volatility in developing its estimate of expected volatility.
	The Company used the following assumptions to estimate the fair value of stock options granted (including fully vested options issued in January 2015 and 2014) and shares purchased under its employee stock purchase plan for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:
		Stock Options			Employee Stock
					Purchase Plan
		Three months ended			Three months ended
		March 31,			March 31,
		2015		2014	2015			2014
	Risk-free rate	1.4-2.0%		2.0-2.8%		0.1	%		0.1	%
	Expected dividend yield	—		—		—			—
	Expected life of option (in years)	6.5-10.0		6.5-9.3		0.5			0.5
	Volatility	78-85%		77-84%		95	%		81	%
	Forfeiture rate	6.00%		7.20%		—			—

LongTerm_Debt

Long-Term Debt	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-Term Debt	Note 5. Long-Term Debt
	On June 26, 2014, the Company entered into a Loan and Security Agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with Oxford Finance LLC, pursuant to which Oxford provided a $20 million secured single-draw term loan to the Company with a maturity date of July 1, 2018. The term loan was fully drawn at close and the proceeds are to be used for working capital and general business requirements. The term loan repayment schedule provides for interest only payments for the first 18 months, followed by consecutive equal monthly payments of principal and interest in arrears starting on February 1, 2016 and continuing through the maturity date. The Loan Agreement provides for a 7.95% interest rate on the term loan, a $150,000 facility fee that was paid at closing and an additional payment equal to 8% of the principal amount of the term loan, which is due when the term loan becomes due or upon the prepayment of the facility. If the Company elects to prepay the loan, there is also a prepayment fee between 1% and 3% of the principal amount of the term loan depending on the timing and circumstances of prepayment.
	In connection with the term loan, the Company received proceeds of $19.8 million, net of debt offering/issuance costs. The debt offering/issuance costs have been recorded as debt discount on the Company’s balance sheet which together with the final $1.6 million payment and fixed interest rate payments will be amortized to interest expense throughout the life of the term loan using the effective interest rate method.
	The term loan is secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company, except that the collateral does not include any intellectual property (including licensing, collaboration and similar agreements relating thereto), and certain other excluded assets. The Loan Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and covenants by the Company, which covenants limit the Company’s ability to convey, sell, lease, transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of certain assets of the Company; engage in any business other than the businesses currently engaged in by the Company or reasonably related thereto; liquidate or dissolve; make certain management changes; undergo certain change of control events; create, incur, assume, or be liable with respect to certain indebtedness; grant certain liens; pay dividends and make certain other restricted payments; make certain investments; and make payments on any subordinated debt.
	The Loan Agreement also contains customary indemnification obligations and customary events of default, including, among other things, our failure to fulfill certain obligations of the Company under the Loan Agreement and the occurrence of a material adverse change which is defined as a material adverse change in the Company’s business, operations, or condition (financial or otherwise), a material impairment of the prospect of repayment of any portion of the loan, or a material impairment in the perfection or priority of lender’s lien in the collateral or in the value of such collateral. In the event of default by the Company under the Loan Agreement, the lender would be entitled to exercise its remedies thereunder, including the right to accelerate the debt, upon which the Company may be required to repay all amounts then outstanding under the Loan Agreement, which could harm the Company’s financial condition. The conditionally exercisable call option related to the event of default is considered to be an embedded derivative which is required to be bifurcated and accounted for as a separate financial instrument. In the periods presented, the value of the embedded derivative is not material, but could become material in future periods if an event of default became more probable than is currently estimated.
	As of March 31, 2015, the Company was in compliance with all material covenants under the Loan Agreement and there had been no material adverse change.
	As of March 31, 2015, the carrying value of the term loan approximated its fair value based on Level 3 unobservable inputs involving discounted cash flows and the estimated market rate of borrowing that could be obtained by companies with credit risk similar to the Company’s credit risk. Future maturities and interest payments under the term loan as of March 31, 2015, are as follows (in thousands):
	Nine months ended December 31, 2015	$	1,193
	2016		8,848
	2017		8,848
	2018		6,023
	Total minimum payments		24,912
	Less amount representing interest		(4,912	)
	Gross balance of long-term debt		20,000
	Less unamortized debt discount		(157	)
	Carrying value of long-term debt		19,843
	Less current portion of long-term debt		(1,826	)
	Long-term debt, less current portion and unamortized debt discount	$	18,017
	Interest expense, including amortization of the debt discount, related to the long-term debt was $557,000 and zero for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Accrued interest, which is included in other long-term liabilities, was approximately $429,000 as of March 31, 2015.

Subsequent_Event

Subsequent Event	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Event	Note 6. Subsequent Event
	During April 2015, the Company raised net proceeds (net of commission) of approximately $10.1 million from the sale of 5.4 million shares of its common stock at a weighted average price of $1.94 per share in the open market through its Controlled Equity Offering SM sales agreement with Cantor Fitzgerald, entered in January 2014. The shares were issued pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-3 declared effective in January 2014. As of April 24, 2015, the Company had up to $9.7 million of common stock available for sale under the Controlled Equity Offering SM program.

Summary_of_Significant_Account1

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Nature of Operations	Nature of Operations
	DURECT Corporation (the Company) was incorporated in the state of Delaware on February 6, 1998. The Company is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development of pharmaceuticals based on its proprietary drug delivery technology platforms, new chemical entities derived from its Epigenomic Regulator Program, and its expertise in drug development. The Company has several products under development by itself and with third party collaborators. The Company also manufactures and sells osmotic pumps used in laboratory research, and designs, develops and manufactures a wide range of standard and custom biodegradable polymers and excipients for pharmaceutical and medical device clients for use as raw materials in their products. In addition, the Company conducts research and development of pharmaceutical products in collaboration with third party pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying unaudited financial statements include the accounts of the Company. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and therefore do not include all the information and footnotes necessary for a complete presentation of the Company’s results of operations, financial position and cash flows in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP). The unaudited financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position at March 31, 2015, the operating results and comprehensive loss for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. The balance sheet as of December 31, 2014 has been derived from audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. These financial statements and notes should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements and notes thereto, included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 filed with the SEC.
	The results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full fiscal year.
Inventories	Inventories
	Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, with cost determined on a first-in, first-out basis. Inventories, in part, include certain excipients that are sold to customers and included in products awaiting regulatory approval. These inventories are capitalized based on management’s judgment of probable sale prior to their expiration date which in turn is primarily based on non-binding forecasts from our customers as well as management’s internal estimates. The valuation of inventory requires management to estimate the value of inventory that may become expired prior to use. The Company may be required to expense previously capitalized inventory costs upon a change in management’s judgment, due to, among other potential factors, a denial or delay of approval of a customer’s product by the necessary regulatory bodies, or new information that suggests that the inventory will not be saleable. In addition, these circumstances may cause the Company to record a liability related to minimum purchase agreements that the Company has in place for raw materials. In 2014, the Company recorded charges to cost of goods sold of approximately $1.6 million, of which approximately $1.1 million related to the write-down of the cost basis of inventory and $500,000 related to the accrual of a liability for the minimum purchase commitment for the excipients. As of March 31, 2015, the remaining carrying value of the excipients in the Company’s inventory was $1.1 million. In addition, the Company has remaining unrecorded future purchase commitments totaling $2.0 million through 2018. In the event that management determines that the Company will not utilize all of these materials, there could be a potential write-off related to this inventory and/or a reserve for future purchase commitments.
		March 31,			December 31,
		2015			2014
		(unaudited)
	Raw materials	$	1,257		$	1,242
	Work in process		1,254			1,120
	Finished goods		1,295			1,280
	Total inventories	$	3,806		$	3,642
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition
	Revenue from the sale of products is recognized when there is persuasive evidence that an arrangement exists, the product is shipped and title transfers to customers, provided no continuing obligation on the Company’s part exists, the price is fixed or determinable and the collectability of the amounts owed is reasonably assured. The Company enters into license and collaboration agreements under which it may receive upfront license fees, research funding and contingent milestone payments and royalties. The Company’s deliverables under these arrangements typically consist of granting licenses to intellectual property rights and providing research and development services. The accounting standards contain a presumption that separate contracts entered into at or near the same time with the same entity or related parties were negotiated as a package and should be evaluated as a single agreement.
Comprehensive Income (Loss) and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Comprehensive Income (Loss) and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
	Components of other comprehensive income (loss) are comprised entirely of unrealized gains and losses on the Company’s available-for-sale securities and marketable equity security for all periods presented. Total comprehensive loss has been disclosed in the Company’s Condensed Statements of Comprehensive Loss.
	The tax effect of the changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) was immaterial for the periods presented. Accumulated other comprehensive income as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 is entirely comprised of net unrealized gains on available-for-sale securities and marketable equity security.
	The following table summarizes changes in the components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax, for the three months ended March 31, 2015 (in thousands):
		Balance at			(Decrease)/		Reclassification			Balance at
		December 31,			Increase		Adjustment			March 31,
		2014								2015
	Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale investments, net of tax	$	(7	)	$	9	$	—		$	2
	Unrealized gain on marketable equity security, net of tax		94			23		(117	)		—
	Total accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax		87			32		(117	)		2
Net Income (Loss) Per Share	Net Income (Loss) Per Share
	Basic net income (loss) per share is calculated by dividing the net income (loss) by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted net income (loss) per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding and common stock equivalents (i.e., options to purchase common stock) outstanding during the period, if dilutive, using the treasury stock method for options and warrants.
	Options to purchase approximately 23.3 million and 19.0 million shares of common stock were excluded from the denominator in the calculation of diluted net loss per share for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, as the effect would be anti-dilutive.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued guidance codified in ASC 606, Revenue Recognition—Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which amends the guidance in former ASC 605, Revenue Recognition. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance provides companies with two implementation methods. Companies can choose to apply the standard retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented (full retrospective application) or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the standard as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings of the annual reporting period that includes the date of initial application (modified retrospective application). The standard will be effective for public entities for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. On April 1, 2015, the FASB voted to propose a delay in the effective date of this guidance. The proposed new effective date will be annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and the interim periods within that year and will allow early adoption for all entities as of the original effective date for public business entities, which was annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the provisions of ASC 606.

Summary_of_Significant_Account2

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Components of Inventories
		March 31,			December 31,
		2015			2014
		(unaudited)
	Raw materials	$	1,257		$	1,242
	Work in process		1,254			1,120
	Finished goods		1,295			1,280
	Total inventories	$	3,806		$	3,642
Summary of Changes in Components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	The following table summarizes changes in the components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax, for the three months ended March 31, 2015 (in thousands):
		Balance at			(Decrease)/		Reclassification			Balance at
		December 31,			Increase		Adjustment			March 31,
		2014								2015
	Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale investments, net of tax	$	(7	)	$	9	$	—		$	2
	Unrealized gain on marketable equity security, net of tax		94			23		(117	)		—
	Total accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax		87			32		(117	)		2

Strategic_Agreements_Tables

Strategic Agreements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Summary of Collaborative Research and Development and Other Revenues Associated with Company's Major Third-Party Collaborators	The collaborative research and development and other revenues associated with the Company’s major third-party collaborators are as follows (in thousands):
			Three months ended
			March 31,
			2015		2014
	Collaborator
	Zogenix, Inc. (Zogenix) (1)		$	1,158	$	782
	Santen Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Santen) (2)			307		—
	Impax Laboratories, Inc. (Impax) (3)			—		2,090
	Pain Therapeutics, Inc. (Pain Therapeutics)			—		451
	Pfizer Inc. (Pfizer)			—		14
	Others			273		175
	Total collaborative research and development and other revenue		$	1,738	$	3,512
	-1	Amounts related to ratable recognition of upfront fees were $64,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.
	-2	Amounts related to ratable recognition of upfront fees were $71,000 and zero for three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; the Company and Santen signed a license agreement effective December 11, 2014.
	-3	Amounts related to recognition of upfront fees were zero and $2.0 million for three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; the Company and Impax signed a license agreement effective January 3, 2014.
Agreement with Zogenix, Inc. [Member]
Summary of Collaborative Research and Development Revenue Recognized	The following table provides a summary of collaborative research and development revenue recognized under the agreements with Zogenix (in thousands). The cumulative aggregate payments received by the Company as of March 31, 2015 were $15.7 million under these agreements.
			Three months ended
			March 31,
			2015		2014
	Ratable recognition of upfront payment		$	64	$	64
	Research and development expenses reimbursable by Zogenix			1,094		718
	Total collaborative research and development revenue		$	1,158	$	782
Agreement with Impax Laboratories, Inc. [Member]
Summary of Collaborative Research and Development Revenue Recognized	The following table provides a summary of collaborative research and development revenue recognized under the Impax Agreement (in thousands). The cumulative aggregate payments received by the Company as of March 31, 2015 were $2.1 million under the agreement.
			Three months ended
			March 31,
			2015		2014
	Recognition of upfront payment		$	—	$	2,000
	Research and development expenses reimbursable by Impax			—		90
	Total collaborative research and development revenue		$	—	$	2,090
Agreement with Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. [Member]
Summary of Collaborative Research and Development Revenue Recognized	The following table provides a summary of collaborative research and development revenue recognized under the Santen Agreement (in thousands).
			Three months ended
			March 31,
			2015		2014
	Ratable recognition of upfront payment		$	71	$	—
	Research and development expenses reimbursable by Santen			236		—
	Total collaborative research and development revenue		$	307	$	—

Financial_Instruments_Tables

Financial Instruments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Summary of Available-for-Sale Securities	The following is a summary of available-for-sale securities as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (in thousands):
		March 31, 2015
		Amortized		Unrealized		Unrealized			Estimated
		Cost		Gain		Loss			Fair
									Value
	Money market funds	$	32	$	—	$	—		$	32
	Certificates of deposit		250		—		—			250
	Commercial paper		749		—		—			749
	Corporate debt		6,647		2		(3	)		6,646
	U.S. Government agencies		20,128		3		—			20,131
		$	27,806	$	5	$	(3	)	$	27,808
	Reported as:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	32	$	—	$	—		$	32
	Short-term investments		27,024		5		(3	)		27,026
	Long-term investments		500		—		—			500
	Long-term restricted investments		250		—		—			250
		$	27,806	$	5	$	(3	)	$	27,808
		December 31, 2014
		Amortized		Unrealized		Unrealized			Estimated
		Cost		Gain		Loss			Fair
									Value
	Money market funds	$	1,558	$	—	$	—		$	1,558
	Certificates of deposit		350		—		—			350
	Marketable equity security		—		155		—			155
	Commercial paper		1,250		—		—			1,250
	Corporate debt		7,744		—		(4	)		7,740
	U.S. Government agencies		22,678		2		(5	)		22,675
		$	33,580	$	157	$	(9	)	$	33,728
	Reported as:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	1,558	$	—	$	—		$	1,558
	Short-term investments		29,867		157		(8	)		30,016
	Long-term investments		1,805		—		(1	)		1,804
	Long-term restricted investments		350		—		—			350
		$	33,580	$	157	$	(9	)	$	33,728
Summary of Cost and Estimated Fair Value of Available-for-Sale Securities by Contractual Maturity	The following is a summary of the cost and estimated fair value of available-for-sale securities at March 31, 2015, by contractual maturity (in thousands):
		March 31, 2015
		Amortized		Estimated
		Cost		Fair
				Value
	Mature in one year or less	$	27,274	$	27,276
	Mature after one year through five years		500		500
		$	27,774	$	27,776

StockBased_Compensation_Tables

Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Summary of Stock-Based Compensation Cost that has been Included in Statements of Comprehensive Loss	As of March 31, 2015, the Company has three stock-based compensation plans. The stock-based compensation cost that has been included in the statements of comprehensive loss is shown as below (in thousands):
		Three months ended
		March 31,
		2015			2014
	Cost of product revenues	$	29		$	37
	Research and development		351			415
	Selling, general and administrative		270			274
	Total stock-based compensation	$	650		$	726
Summary of Assumptions Used to Estimate Fair Value of Options Granted and Shares Purchased	The Company used the following assumptions to estimate the fair value of stock options granted (including fully vested options issued in January 2015 and 2014) and shares purchased under its employee stock purchase plan for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:
		Stock Options			Employee Stock
					Purchase Plan
		Three months ended			Three months ended
		March 31,			March 31,
		2015		2014	2015			2014
	Risk-free rate	1.4-2.0%		2.0-2.8%		0.1	%		0.1	%
	Expected dividend yield	—		—		—			—
	Expected life of option (in years)	6.5-10.0		6.5-9.3		0.5			0.5
	Volatility	78-85%		77-84%		95	%		81	%
	Forfeiture rate	6.00%		7.20%		—			—

LongTerm_Debt_Tables

Long-Term Debt (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Future Maturities and Interest Payments under Term Loan	Future maturities and interest payments under the term loan as of March 31, 2015, are as follows (in thousands):
	Nine months ended December 31, 2015	$	1,193
	2016		8,848
	2017		8,848
	2018		6,023
	Total minimum payments		24,912
	Less amount representing interest		(4,912	)
	Gross balance of long-term debt		20,000
	Less unamortized debt discount		(157	)
	Carrying value of long-term debt		19,843
	Less current portion of long-term debt		(1,826	)
	Long-term debt, less current portion and unamortized debt discount	$	18,017

Summary_of_Significant_Account3

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
Share data in Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
State of incorporation	Delaware
Date of incorporation	6-Feb-98
Cost of goods sold	$1,006,000	$1,063,000
Inventories	3,806,000		3,642,000
Stock Options [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Options to purchase common stock excluded from the denominator in the calculation of diluted net income (loss) per share	23.3	19
Agreement with Pain Therapeutics, Inc. [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Cost of goods sold			1,600,000
Write-down of the cost basis of inventory			1,100,000
Minimum purchase commitment			500,000
Inventories	1,100,000
Remaining unrecorded future purchase commitments	$2,000,000

Summary_of_Significant_Account4

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Summary of Components of Inventories (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Inventory, Net [Abstract]
Raw materials	$1,257	$1,242
Work in process	1,254	1,120
Finished goods	1,295	1,280
Total inventories	$3,806	$3,642

Summary_of_Significant_Account5

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Summary of Changes in Components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning balance	$87
(Decrease)/ Increase	32
Reclassification Adjustment	-117
Ending balance	2
Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale investments, net of tax [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning balance	-7
(Decrease)/ Increase	9
Reclassification Adjustment	0
Ending balance	2
Unrealized gain on marketable equity security, net of tax [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning balance	94
(Decrease)/ Increase	23
Reclassification Adjustment	($117)

Strategic_Agreements_Summary_o

Strategic Agreements - Summary of Collaborative Research and Development and Other Revenues Associated with Company's Major Third-Party Collaborators (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Total collaborative research and development and other revenue	$1,738	$3,512
Agreement with Zogenix, Inc. [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Total collaborative research and development and other revenue	1,158	782
Agreement with Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Total collaborative research and development and other revenue	307
Agreement with Impax Laboratories, Inc. [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Total collaborative research and development and other revenue		2,090
Agreement with Pain Therapeutics, Inc. [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Total collaborative research and development and other revenue	0	451
Agreement with Pfizer [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Total collaborative research and development and other revenue	0	14
Agreements With Other Third Party Collaborators [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Total collaborative research and development and other revenue	$273	$175

Strategic_Agreements_Summary_o1

Strategic Agreements - Summary of Collaborative Research and Development and Other Revenues Associated with Company's Major Third-Party Collaborators (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Agreement with Zogenix, Inc. [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Amounts related to the ratable recognition of upfront fees	$64	$64
Agreement with Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Amounts related to the ratable recognition of upfront fees	71	0
Agreement with Impax Laboratories, Inc. [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Amounts related to the ratable recognition of upfront fees	$0	$2,000

Strategic_Agreements_Agreement

Strategic Agreements - Agreement with Pain Therapeutics, Inc. - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	148 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2002	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015
			Drug
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Total collaborative research and development and other revenue	$1,738,000	$3,512,000
Product revenue, net	3,035,000	2,781,000
Cost of goods sold	1,006,000	1,063,000
Agreement with Pain Therapeutics, Inc. [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Number of specified opioid drugs	2		4
Total collaborative research and development and other revenue	0	451,000
Performance milestone payments based on successful development	5,100,000				5,100,000
Cumulative aggregate payments received by the Company	37,700,000
Upfront license fee	1,000,000
Cost of goods sold				1,600,000
Agreement with Pain Therapeutics, Inc. [Member] | Development-Based Milestones [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Performance milestone payments based on successful development	5,100,000				5,100,000
Revenue recognition milestone achieved	1,700,000
Agreement with Pain Therapeutics, Inc. [Member] | Sales-Based Milestones [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Performance milestone payments based on successful development	0				0
Agreement with Pfizer [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Total collaborative research and development and other revenue	0	14,000
Cumulative aggregate payments received by the Company					7,100,000
Product revenue, net	96,000	0
Cost of goods sold	$51,000	$0

Strategic_Agreements_Agreement1

Strategic Agreements - Agreement with Zogenix, Inc. - Additional Information (Detail) (Agreement with Zogenix, Inc. [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended	44 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2011
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Future milestone payments	$103,000,000	$103,000,000
Patent royalty term	15 years
Cumulative aggregate payments received by the Company	15,700,000
Development-Based Milestones [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Future milestone payments	28,000,000	28,000,000
Revenue recognition milestone achieved		0
Sales-Based Milestones [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Future milestone payments	75,000,000	75,000,000
Revenue recognition milestone achieved		0
Up-front Payment Arrangement [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Non-refundable upfront fee	$2,250,000		$2,250,000

Strategic_Agreements_Summary_o2

Strategic Agreements - Summary of Collaborative Research and Development Revenue Recognized (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Total collaborative research and development revenue	$1,738	$3,512
Agreement with Zogenix, Inc. [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Ratable recognition of upfront payment	64	64
Research and development expenses reimbursable by the Company	1,094	718
Total collaborative research and development revenue	1,158	782
Agreement with Impax Laboratories, Inc. [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Ratable recognition of upfront payment	0	2,000
Research and development expenses reimbursable by the Company		90
Total collaborative research and development revenue		2,090
Agreement with Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Ratable recognition of upfront payment	71	0
Research and development expenses reimbursable by the Company	236
Total collaborative research and development revenue	$307

Strategic_Agreements_Agreement2

Strategic Agreements - Agreement with Impax Laboratories, Inc. - Additional Information (Detail) (Agreement with Impax Laboratories, Inc. [Member], USD $)	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 03, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Jan. 03, 2014
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Non-refundable upfront fee	$2,000,000
Future milestone payments	61,000,000		61,000,000
Cumulative aggregate payments received by the Company		2,100,000
Development-Based Milestones [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Future milestone payments	31,000,000		31,000,000
Sales-Based Milestones [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Future milestone payments	30,000,000		30,000,000
Revenue recognition milestone achieved		$0

Strategic_Agreements_Agreement3

Strategic Agreements - Agreement with Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. - Additional Information (Detail) (Agreement with Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. [Member], USD $)	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 11, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 11, 2014
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Upfront license fee	$2,000,000
Future milestone payments	76,000,000		76,000,000
Cumulative aggregate payments received by the Company		2,400,000
Development-Based Milestones [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Future milestone payments	13,000,000		13,000,000
Commercialization-Based Milestones [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Future milestone payments	63,000,000		63,000,000
Revenue recognition milestone achieved		$0

Financial_Instruments_Summary_

Financial Instruments - Summary of Available-for-Sale Securities (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	$27,806	$33,580
Unrealized Gain	5	157
Unrealized Loss	-3	-9
Estimated Fair Value	27,808	33,728
Money market funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	32	1,558
Estimated Fair Value	32	1,558
Certificates of deposit [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	250	350
Estimated Fair Value	250	350
Marketable equity security [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Unrealized Gain		155
Estimated Fair Value		155
Commercial paper [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	749	1,250
Estimated Fair Value	749	1,250
Corporate debt [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	6,647	7,744
Unrealized Gain	2
Unrealized Loss	-3	-4
Estimated Fair Value	6,646	7,740
U.S. Government agencies [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	20,128	22,678
Unrealized Gain	3	2
Unrealized Loss		-5
Estimated Fair Value	20,131	22,675
Cash and cash equivalents [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	32	1,558
Estimated Fair Value	32	1,558
Short-term investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	27,024	29,867
Unrealized Gain	5	157
Unrealized Loss	-3	-8
Estimated Fair Value	27,026	30,016
Long-term restricted investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	250	350
Estimated Fair Value	250	350
Long-term investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	500	1,805
Unrealized Loss		-1
Estimated Fair Value	$500	$1,804

Financial_Instruments_Summary_1

Financial Instruments - Summary of Cost and Estimated Fair Value of Available-for-Sale Securities by Contractual Maturity (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Mature in one year or less, Amortized Cost	$27,274
Mature after one year through five years, Amortized Cost	500
Amortized Cost	27,774
Mature in one year or less, Estimated Fair Value	27,276
Mature after one year through five years, Estimated Fair Value	500
Estimated Fair Value	$27,776

Financial_Instruments_Addition

Financial Instruments - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Unrealized loss of securities	$0

StockBased_Compensation_Summar

Stock-Based Compensation - Summary of Stock-Based Compensation Cost that has been Included in Statements of Comprehensive Loss (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Total employee stock-based compensation cost	$650	$726
Cost of product revenues [Member]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Total employee stock-based compensation cost	29	37
Research and development [Member]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Total employee stock-based compensation cost	351	415
Selling, general and administrative [Member]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Total employee stock-based compensation cost	$270	$274

StockBased_Compensation_Additi

Stock-Based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-based compensation cost capitalized in inventory	$11,000	$13,000

StockBased_Compensation_Summar1

Stock-Based Compensation - Summary of Assumptions Used to Estimate Fair Value of Options Granted and Shares Purchased (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Employees Stock Purchase Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Risk-free rate	0.10%	0.10%
Expected dividend yield	0.00%	0.00%
Expected life of option (in years)	6 months	6 months
Volatility	95.00%	81.00%
Stock Option Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Risk-free rate, minimum	1.40%	2.00%
Risk-free rate, maximum	2.00%	2.80%
Expected dividend yield	0.00%	0.00%
Volatility, minimum	78.00%	77.00%
Volatility, maximum	85.00%	84.00%
Forfeiture rate	6.00%	7.20%
Stock Option Plan [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Expected life of option (in years)	6 years 6 months	6 years 6 months
Stock Option Plan [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Expected life of option (in years)	10 years	9 years 3 months 18 days

LongTerm_Debt_Additional_Infor

Long-Term Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (Oxford Finance LLC [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Secured term loan	$20,000,000
Term loan, maturity date	1-Jul-18
Interest rate on term loan	7.95%
Percentage of an additional payment equal to principal amount	8.00%
Facility fee paid at final payment	150,000
Term loan repayment description	The term loan repayment schedule provides for interest only payments for the first 18 months, followed by consecutive equal monthly payments of principal and interest in arrears starting on February 1, 2016
Proceeds from long term debt, net	19,800,000
Debt offering/issuance costs	1,600,000
Debt instrument, covenants in compliance	The Company was in compliance with all material covenants under the Loan Agreement and there had been no material adverse change.
Interest expense	557,000	0
Accrued interest	$429,000
Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of prepayment fee	1.00%
Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of prepayment fee	3.00%

LongTerm_Debt_Schedule_of_Futu

Long-Term Debt - Schedule of Future Maturities and Interest Payments under Term Loan (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Future maturities and interest payments under the term loan:
Nine months ended December 31, 2015	$1,193
2016	8,848
2017	8,848
2018	6,023
Total minimum payments	24,912
Total minimum payments	24,912
Less amount representing interest	-4,912
Gross balance of long-term debt	20,000
Gross balance of long-term debt	20,000
Less unamortized debt discount	-157
Carrying value of long-term debt	19,843
Carrying value of long-term debt:
Carrying value of long-term debt	19,843
Less current portion of long-term debt	-1,826
Long-term debt, less current portion and unamortized debt discount	$18,017	$19,824

Subsequent_Event_Additional_In

Subsequent Event - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		1 Months Ended
Share data in Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Apr. 30, 2015	Apr. 24, 2015
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of common stock, net of commission	$242,000	$92,000
Subsequent event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of common stock, net of commission			10,100,000
Sale of common stock during period			5.4
Common stock weighted average price			$1.94
Subsequent event [Member] | Cantor Fitzgerald Co [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Securities offered				$9,700,000