Vivus (VVUS) 10-Q 6 May 14 2014 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Apr. 23, 2014
Document and Entity Information	'	'
Entity Registrant Name	'VIVUS INC	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0000881524	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-14	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'
Entity Current Reporting Status	'Yes	'
Entity Filer Category	'Large Accelerated Filer	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	103,314,461
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q1	'

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$89,659	$103,262
Available-for-sale securities	226,509	240,024
Accounts receivable, net	31,079	12,214
Inventories	47,210	48,503
Prepaid expenses and other assets	19,087	19,938
Total current assets	413,544	423,941
Property and equipment, net	1,758	1,954
Non-current assets	5,594	5,901
Total assets	420,896	431,796
Current liabilities:	'	'
Accounts payable	7,670	10,759
Accrued and other liabilities	24,270	23,993
Deferred revenue	18,024	17,255
Total current liabilities	49,964	52,007
Long-term debt, net of current portion	216,594	213,106
Deferred revenue, net of current portion	10,140	10,360
Non-current accrued and other liabilities	2,730	2,954
Total liabilities	279,428	278,427
Commitments and contingencies	'	'
Stockholders' equity:	'	'
Preferred stock; $1.00 par value; 5,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding	'	'
Common stock; $.001 par value; 200,000 shares authorized; 103,314 and 103,161 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively	103	103
Additional paid-in capital	817,408	813,802
Accumulated other comprehensive income	109	66
Accumulated deficit	-676,152	-660,602
Total stockholders' equity	141,468	153,369
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$420,896	$431,796

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE1

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS	'	'
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$1	$1
Preferred stock, shares authorized	5,000	5,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$0.00	$0.00
Common stock, shares authorized	200,000	200,000
Common stock, shares issued	103,314	103,161
Common stock, shares outstanding	103,314	103,161

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Revenue:	'	'
Net product revenue	$9,138	$4,112
License and milestone revenue	19,363	'
Supply revenue	7,370	'
Royalty revenue	820	'
Total revenue	36,691	4,112
Operating expenses:	'	'
Cost of goods sold	9,533	390
Inventory impairment and commitment fee	'	5,777
Research and development	4,423	7,046
Selling, general and administrative	28,609	44,696
Non-recurring charges	2,054	'
Total operating expenses	44,619	57,909
Loss from operations	-7,928	-53,797
Total interest expense and other expense (income), net	8,058	-35
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes	-15,986	-53,762
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes	-436	6
Loss from continuing operations	-15,550	-53,768
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	'	192
Net loss	($15,550)	($53,576)
Basic and diluted net loss per share:	'	'
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	($0.15)	($0.53)
Net loss per share (in dollars per share)	($0.15)	($0.53)
Shares used in per share computation:	'	'
Basic and diluted (in shares)	103,289	100,660

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME1

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS	'	'
Net loss	($15,550)	($53,576)
Other comprehensive loss:	'	'
Unrealized gain (loss) on securities, net of taxes	43	-19
Comprehensive loss	($15,507)	($53,595)

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Cash flows from operating activities:	'	'
Net loss from continuing operations	($15,550)	($53,768)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used for operating activities from continuing operations:	'	'
Depreciation	213	183
Amortization of debt issuance costs	3,567	'
Amortization of discount or premium on available-for-sale securities	911	510
Share-based compensation expense	2,848	6,061
Unrealized foreign currency remeasurement gain	-68	'
Inventory impairment	'	5,036
Changes in assets and liabilities:	'	'
Accounts receivable	-18,865	-2,100
Inventories	1,293	-7,071
Prepaid expenses and other assets	3,300	-5,165
Accounts payable	-3,089	-6,876
Accrued and other liabilities	-26	879
Deferred revenue	549	396
Net cash used for operating activities from continuing operations	-24,917	-61,915
Net cash used for operating activities from discontinued operations	'	-204
Net cash used for operating activities	-24,917	-62,119
Cash flows from investing activities:	'	'
Property and equipment purchases	-17	-929
Purchases of available-for-sale securities	-51,353	'
Proceeds from sales and maturities of available-for-sale securities	64,000	95,750
Non-current assets	-2,074	-705
Net cash provided by investing activities	10,556	94,116
Cash flows from financing activities:	'	'
Net proceeds from exercise of common stock options	758	4
Net cash provided by financing activities	758	4
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	-13,603	32,001
Cash and cash equivalents:	'	'
Beginning of period	103,262	58,605
End of period	$89,659	$90,606

BASIS_OF_PRESENTATION

BASIS OF PRESENTATION	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	'
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	'
	1.              BASIS OF PRESENTATION
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP, for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2014, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2014. Management has evaluated all events and transactions that occurred after March 31, 2014, through the date these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements were filed. There were no events or transactions during this period that require recognition or disclosure in these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, except as disclosed in Note 18 Subsequent Events. The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP.
	The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 as filed on February 28, 2014 with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of VIVUS, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
	When we refer to “we,” “our,” “us,” the “Company” or “VIVUS” in this document, we mean the Delaware corporation, or VIVUS, Inc., and its California predecessor, as well as all of our consolidated subsidiaries.
	Reclassifications
	Certain prior year amounts in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and related disclosures. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including critical accounting policies or estimates related to available-for-sale securities, debt instruments, research and development expenses, income taxes, inventories, revenues, contingencies and litigation and share-based compensation. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience, information received from third-parties and on various market specific and other relevant assumptions that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
	Fair Value Measurements
	Financial instruments include cash equivalents, available-for-sale securities, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities. Available-for-sale securities are carried at estimated fair value. The carrying value of cash equivalents, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their estimated fair value due to the relatively short-term nature of these instruments.
	Debt instruments are initially recorded at fair value, with coupon interest and amortization of debt issuance discounts recognized in the statement of operations as interest expense at each period end while such instruments are outstanding. If the Company issues shares to discharge the liability, the debt obligation is derecognized and common stock and additional paid-in capital are recognized on the issuance of those shares.
	The Company’s Convertible Notes, as described in Note 13 Long-Term Debt, contain a conversion option that is classified as equity. The Company determined the fair value of the liability component of the debt instrument and allocated the excess amount from the initial proceeds to the conversion option. The fair value of the debt component was determined by estimating a risk adjusted interest rate, or market yield, at the time of issuance for similar notes that do not include the conversion feature, or equity component. This excess is reported as a debt discount and is amortized as non-cash interest expense, using the interest method, over the expected life of the Convertible Notes.
	Issuance costs related to the equity component of the Convertible Notes were charged to additional paid-in capital. The remaining portion related to the debt component is being amortized and recorded as additional interest expense over the expected life of the Convertible Notes. In connection with the issuance of the Convertible Notes, the Company entered into capped call transactions with certain counterparties affiliated with the underwriters. The fair value of the purchased capped calls was recorded to stockholders’ equity.
	Revenue from Multiple-Element Arrangements:
	The Company accounts for multiple-element arrangements, such as license and commercialization agreements in which a customer may purchase several deliverables, in accordance with ASC Topic 605-25, Revenue Recognition—Multiple-Element Arrangements, or ASC 605-25. The Company evaluates if the deliverables in the arrangement represent separate units of accounting. In determining the units of accounting, management evaluates certain criteria, including whether the deliverables have value to its customers on a stand-alone basis. Factors considered in this determination include whether the deliverable is proprietary to the Company, whether the customer can use the license or other deliverables for their intended purpose without the receipt of the remaining elements, whether the value of the deliverable is dependent on the undelivered items, and whether there are other vendors that can provide the undelivered items. Deliverables that meet these criteria are considered a separate unit of accounting. Deliverables that do not meet these criteria are combined and accounted for as a single unit of accounting.
	When deliverables are separable, the Company allocates non-contingent consideration to each separate unit of accounting based upon the relative selling price of each element. When applying the relative selling price method, the Company determines the selling price for each deliverable using vendor-specific objective evidence, or VSOE, of selling price, if it exists, or third-party evidence, or TPE, of selling price, if it exists. If neither VSOE nor TPE of selling price exists for a deliverable, the Company uses best estimated selling price, or BESP, for that deliverable. Significant management judgment may be required to determine the relative selling price of each element. Revenue allocated to each element is then recognized based on when the following four basic revenue recognition criteria are met for each element: (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (ii) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered; (iii) the price is fixed or determinable; and (iv) collectability is reasonably assured.
	Determining whether and when some of these criteria have been satisfied often involves assumptions and judgments that can have a significant impact on the timing and amount of revenue the Company reports. Changes in assumptions or judgments, or changes to the elements in an arrangement, could cause a material increase or decrease in the amount of revenue reported in a particular period.
	ASC Topic 605-28, Revenue Recognition—Milestone Method (ASC 605-28), established the milestone method as an acceptable method of revenue recognition for certain contingent, event-based payments under research and development arrangements. Under the milestone method, a payment that is contingent upon the achievement of a substantive milestone is recognized in its entirety in the period in which the milestone is achieved. A milestone is an event: (i) that can be achieved based in whole or in part on either the Company’s performance or on the occurrence of a specific outcome resulting from the Company’s performance, (ii) for which there is substantive uncertainty at the date the arrangement is entered into that the event will be achieved, and (iii) that would result in additional payments being due to the Company. The determination that a milestone is substantive requires judgment and is made at the inception of the arrangement. Milestones are considered substantive when the consideration earned from the achievement of the milestone is: (i) commensurate with either the Company’s performance to achieve the milestone or the enhancement of value of the item delivered as a result of a specific outcome resulting from the Company’s performance to achieve the milestone, (ii) relates solely to past performance, and (iii) is reasonable relative to all deliverables and payment terms in the arrangement.
	Other contingent, event-based payments received for which payment is either contingent solely upon the passage of time or the results of a collaborative partner’s performance are not considered milestones under ASC 605-28. In accordance with ASC 605-25, such payments will be recognized as revenue when all of the four basic revenue recognition criteria are met.
	Revenues recognized for royalty payments are recognized as net sales are reported in accordance with the terms of the license and commercialization agreements.
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	There have been no recent accounting pronouncements or changes in accounting pronouncements during the three months ended March 31, 2014, as compared to the recent accounting pronouncements described in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, that are of significance, or potential significance, to the Company.

SHAREBASED_COMPENSATION

SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION.	'
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION	'
	2. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION
	The Company accounts for share-based compensation arrangements in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB’s, Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation, or ASC 718, and ASC 505-50, Equity — Equity Based Payments to Non-Employees.
	Total share-based compensation expense for all of the Company’s share-based awards is as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2014		2013
	Cost of goods sold	$	34	$	—
	Research and development	274		940
	Selling, general and administrative	2,197		5,121
	Non-recurring charges	343		—
	Total share-based compensation expense	$	2,848	$	6,061
	There was no share-based compensation cost capitalized as part of the cost of inventory for the three months ended March 31, 2014 as compared to $176,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2013.

CASH_CASH_EQUIVALENTS_AND_AVAI

CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND AVAILABLE-FOR-SALE SECURITIES	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND AVAILABLE-FOR-SALE SECURITIES	'
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND AVAILABLE-FOR-SALE SECURITIES	'
	3. CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND AVAILABLE-FOR-SALE SECURITIES
	The fair value and the amortized cost of cash, cash equivalents, and available-for-sale securities by major security type at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, are presented in the tables that follow.
		As of March 31, 2014 (in thousands):
	Cash and cash equivalents and available-for-sale	Amortized			Gross		Gross			Estimated
	securities	Cost			Unrealized		Unrealized			Fair Value
					Gains		Losses
	Cash and money market funds	$	89,659		$	—	$	—		$	89,659
	U.S. Treasury securities	226,400			109		—			226,509
	Total	316,059			109		—			316,168
	Less amounts classified as cash and cash equivalents	(89,659		)	—		—			(89,659		)
	Total available-for-sale securities	$	226,400		$	109	$	—		$	226,509
		As of December 31, 2013 (in thousands):
	Cash and cash equivalents and available-for-sale	Amortized			Gross		Gross			Estimated
	securities	Cost			Unrealized		Unrealized			Fair Value
					Gains		Losses
	Cash and money market funds	$	103,262		$	—	$	—		$	103,262
	U.S. Treasury securities	239,959			69		(4		)	240,024
	Total	343,221			69		(4		)	343,286
	Less amounts classified as cash equivalents	(103,262		)	—		—			(103,262		)
	Total available-for-sale securities	$	239,959		$	69	$	(4	)	$	240,024
	As of March 31, 2014, all of the Company’s available-for-sale securities have original contractual maturities up to 24 months. However, the Company may or may not hold securities with stated maturities greater than 12 months until maturity. In response to changes in the availability of and the yield on alternative investments as well as liquidity requirements, the Company may sell these securities prior to their stated maturities. As these securities are viewed by the Company as available to support current operations, securities with maturities beyond 12 months are classified as current assets. Due to their short-term maturities, the Company believes that the fair value of its bank deposits, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate their carrying value.
	Fair Value Measurements
	As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, all of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities were measured at fair value on a recurring basis, and classified as Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy. There were no assets or liabilities measured on a recurring basis where Level 2 or Level 3 valuation techniques were used.

ACCOUNTS_RECEIVABLE

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE	'
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE	'
	4. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
	Accounts receivable consist of (in thousands):
		Balance as of
		March 31, 2014			December 31, 2013
	Qsymia	$	7,990		$	6,777
	STENDRA/SPEDRA	23,249			5,571
		31,239			12,348
	Qsymia allowance for cash discounts	(160		)	(134		)
	Net	$	31,079		$	12,214

INVENTORIES

INVENTORIES	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
INVENTORIES	'
INVENTORIES	'
	5. INVENTORIES
	Inventories consist of (in thousands):
		Balance as of
		March 31, 2014		December 31, 2013
	Raw materials	$	30,382	$	28,545
	Work in process	—		12
	Finished goods	11,600		14,793
	Deferred costs	5,228		5,153
	Total	$	47,210	$	48,503
	As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, raw materials inventories consist primarily of the active pharmaceutical ingredients, or API, for the commercialization of Qsymia (phentermine and topiramate extended release) capsules CIV and finished goods and deferred costs inventories consist of both Qsymia and STENDRA (avanafil). The Qsymia deferred costs represents Qsymia product shipped to the Company’s wholesalers, certified retail pharmacies and certified home delivery pharmacy services networks, but not yet dispensed to patients through prescriptions, net of prompt payment discounts, and for which recognition of revenue has been deferred. The STENDRA deferred costs represent certain initial orders of STENDRA or SPEDRA product with the right of return or credit, which did not meet the required specifications of its partners, and for which recognition of revenue has been deferred.
	Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined using the first-in, first-out method for all inventories, which are valued using a weighted average cost method calculated for each production batch. The Company periodically evaluates the carrying value of inventory on hand for potential excess amount over demand using the same lower of cost or market approach as that used to value the inventory. As a result of this evaluation no charge was recorded in the three months ended March 31, 2014.

PREPAID_EXPENSES_AND_OTHER_ASS

PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER ASSETS	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER ASSETS	'
PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER ASSETS	'
	6. PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER ASSETS
	Prepaid expenses and other assets consist of (in thousands):
		Balance as of
		March 31,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Prepaid insurance	$	2,588	$	3,617
	Prepaid sales and marketing expenses	5,309		5,187
	Withholding tax receivable	6,001		5,560
	Debt issuance costs	1,253		1,247
	Other prepaid expenses and assets	3,936		4,327
	Total	$	19,087	$	19,938
	The amounts included in prepaid expenses and other assets consist primarily of prepaid insurance, deposits and prepayments for future services, primarily related to prepaid product commercialization costs for services relating to future periods in support of the sales and marketing of Qsymia in the U.S., current portion of debt issuance costs related to the Convertible Notes and the Senior Secured Notes, interest income receivable and withholding tax receivable. The withholding tax receivable represents refundable foreign tax withheld on payments from the Menarini Group, through its subsidiary Berlin-Chemie AG, or Menarini, made to the Company. These amounts represent probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by the Company as a result of past transactions or events, which meet the definition of an asset under FASB Concept Statement 6. As such, these costs have been deferred as prepaid expenses and other assets on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets and will be either (i) charged to expense accordingly when the related prepaid services are rendered to the Company, or (ii) converted to cash when the receivables are collected by the Company.

NONCURRENT_ASSETS

NON-CURRENT ASSETS	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
NON-CURRENT ASSETS	'
NON-CURRENT ASSETS	'
	7. NON-CURRENT ASSETS
	Non-current assets consist of (in thousands):
		Balance as of
		March 31,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Debt issuance costs	$	4,306	$	4,620
	Other non-current assets	1,288		1,281
	Total	$	5,594	$	5,901
	The amounts included in non-current assets consist of debt issuance costs relating to the Convertible Notes and the Senior Secured Notes (see Note 13 Long-Term Debt), which primarily consist of investment banker, legal and other professional fees, and other assets which are not expected to be realized in the next 12 months.

ACCRUED_AND_OTHER_LIABILITIES

ACCRUED AND OTHER LIABILITIES	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
ACCRUED AND OTHER LIABILITIES	'
ACCRUED AND OTHER LIABILITIES	'
	8. ACCRUED AND OTHER LIABILITIES
	Accrued and other liabilities consist of (in thousands):
		Balance as of
		March 31,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Accrued interest on debt	$	9,734	$	5,541
	Non-recurring charges (see Note 10)	4,673		4,577
	Accrued employee compensation and benefits	2,260		3,408
	Accrued research and clinical expenses	1,587		1,755
	Accrued manufacturing costs	78		4,071
	Other accrued liabilities	5,938		4,641
	Total	$	24,270	$	23,993
	The amounts included in other accrued liabilities consist of obligations primarily related to accrued sales and marketing expense and accrued royalties.

NONCURRENT_ACCRUED_AND_OTHER_L

NON-CURRENT ACCRUED AND OTHER LIABILITIES	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
NON-CURRENT ACCRUED AND OTHER LIABILITIES	'
NON-CURRENT ACCRUED AND OTHER LIABILITIES	'
	9. NON-CURRENT ACCRUED AND OTHER LIABILITIES
	Non-current accrued and other liabilities at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, of $2.7 million and $3.0 million, respectively, consist of employee severance and benefits related to a cost reduction plan and lease exit costs that will be paid in periods beyond the next 12 months (see Note 10 Non-Recurring Charges).

NONRECURRING_CHARGES

NON-RECURRING CHARGES	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
NON-RECURRING CHARGES	'
NON-RECURRING CHARGES	'
	10. NON-RECURRING CHARGES
	In July 2013, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with First Manhattan in connection with a proxy contest related to the Company’s 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. According to the terms of the settlement agreement, more than a majority of the members of the Company’s Board of Directors resigned and new members were appointed. The change in the majority of the members of the Company’s Board of Directors, effective July 19, 2013, triggered certain “change of control” benefits in accordance with the Amended and Restated Change of Control and Severance Agreements, or the Amended Agreements, with certain of the Company’s employees. Under the Amended Agreements, all unvested stock options held by these employees automatically vested in full and became immediately exercisable. In addition, the resignations of both the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and President resulted in severance charges under the Chief Executive Officer’s employment agreement and the President’s Amended Agreement. Further, the employment of the Company’s Senior Vice President Finance and Global Corporate Development and Chief Financial Officer, Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, and Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer terminated which resulted in severance charges under the Amended Agreements. As a result, the Company incurred one-time severance costs from the terminations of certain of the Company’s executive officers, and some of the severance payments are being paid over a period of up to 24 months from the separation date.
	In addition, as part of the Company’s ongoing efforts to reduce costs by eliminating expenses that are not essential to expanding the use of Qsymia, the Company implemented a cost reduction plan that reduced the Company’s workforce by approximately 20 employees, or 17%, excluding the sales force, in the year ended December 31, 2013. This cost reduction plan was substantially complete at December 31, 2013; however certain employee terminations were finalized in the three months ended March 31, 2014.  Some of the severance payments are being paid over a period of up to 24 months from the separation date.
	The following table sets forth activities for the Company’s cost reduction plan obligations during the three months ended March 31, 2014 (in thousands):
		Severance			Facilities-			Total
		obligations			related
					obligations
	Balance of accrued costs at December 31, 2013	$	6,509		$	1,022		$	7,531
	Charges*	1,711			—			1,711
	Payments	(1,659		)	(180		)	(1,839		)
	Balance of accrued costs at March 31, 2014	$	6,561		$	842		$	7,403
	* In addition to the above non-recurring charges, as previously described, the Company incurred $0.3 million in non-cash share-based compensation expense for an aggregate total of $2.1 million in non-recurring charges for the three months ended March 31, 2014.
	The accrued facilities-related costs at March 31, 2014 represent estimated losses, net of expected subleases, on space vacated as part of the Company’s cost reduction plan. The noncancelable operating leases and scheduled payments against the amounts accrued extend through May 2020, unless the Company is able to negotiate earlier terminations.
	Of the total accrued employee severance and facilities-related costs in the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2014, $4.7 million is included under current liabilities in “Accrued and other liabilities” and $2.7 million is included in “Non-current accrued and other liabilities.”
	The balance of the accrued employee severance and facilities-related costs at March 31, 2014 is anticipated to be paid out as follows (in thousands):
	2014 (remaining nine months)	$	3,846
	2015	3,220
	2016	184
	2017	50
	2018	43
	Thereafter	60
		$	7,403

DEFERRED_REVENUE

DEFERRED REVENUE	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
DEFERRED REVENUE	'
DEFERRED REVENUE	'
	11. DEFERRED REVENUE
	Qsymia Deferred Revenue
	At March 31, 2014, the Company had $12.5 million in current deferred revenue, which represents Qsymia product shipped to the Company’s wholesalers, certified retail pharmacies and certified home delivery pharmacy services networks, but not yet dispensed to patients through prescriptions, net of prompt payment discounts.
	STENDRA or SPEDRA Deferred Revenue
	In 2013, the Company received €6.7 million (€8 million, net of approximately 16% reimbursable withholding tax) from Menarini as a prepayment for future royalties on sales of SPEDRA. The gross prepayment amount was €8 million, or $10.6 million, of which $0.5 million and $10.1 million were recorded as current and noncurrent deferred revenue, respectively, as of March 31, 2014. This amount will be recognized through future earnings and deducted by Menarini against future royalties owed to the Company until such amount, plus interest cost, is depleted in full.
	The Company supplied certain initial orders of STENDRA or SPEDRA product with a right of return or credit, which did not meet the required specifications of its partners. As such, the Company recorded these shipments as deferred revenue at March 31, 2014. Under the Company’s product supply agreements, as long as product meets specified product dating criteria at the time of shipment to the partner, the Company’s commercialization partners do not have a right of return or credit for expired product. However, given STENDRA or SPEDRA’s 48-month shelf life and lack of selling history, the Company has not been able to reliably estimate expected returns of product at the time of shipment for certain initial product supply orders under these agreements that retain a right of return or credit for product supplied that does not meet the commercialization partners’ criteria. Therefore, for these orders, the Company recognizes revenue when units are dispensed to patients through prescriptions, at which point, the product is not subject to return.
	As a result, the Company had $5.0 million in current deferred revenue related to STENDRA or SPEDRA product supply at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013.

LICENSE_COMMERCIALIZATION_AND_

LICENSE, COMMERCIALIZATION AND SUPPLY AGREEMENTS	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
LICENSE, COMMERCIALIZATION AND SUPPLY AGREEMENTS	'
LICENSE, COMMERCIALIZATION AND SUPPLY AGREEMENTS	'
	12. LICENSE, COMMERCIALIZATION AND SUPPLY AGREEMENTS
	On July 5, 2013, the Company entered into a License and Commercialization Agreement, or the Menarini License Agreement, with Menarini to commercialize and promote SPEDRA for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, or ED, in over 40 European countries, including the EU, plus Australia and New Zealand. VIVUS and Menarini also entered into a Commercial Supply Agreement, or the Menarini Supply Agreement, whereby VIVUS will supply Menarini with SPEDRA drug product. In March of 2014, Menarini commenced their product launch in France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, for which milestone payments of €3.0 million for each country (in total €12.0 million or $16.6 million) were earned and recognized as license and milestone revenue in the three months ended March 31, 2014.
	On October 10, 2013, the Company entered into a License and Commercialization Agreement, or the Auxilium License Agreement, and a commercial supply agreement, or the Auxilium Supply Agreement, with Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or Auxilium,   whereby VIVUS will supply Auxilium with STENDRA drug product. Under the terms of the Auxilium License Agreement, Auxilium received an exclusive license to commercialize and promote VIVUS’s drug STENDRA for the treatment of ED in the United States and Canada and their respective territories, or the Auxilium Territory. For the three months ended March 31, 2014, $4.5 million in supply revenue was recognized from product delivered under the Auxilium Supply Agreement, $0.8 million in royalty revenue was recognized from net sales reported, and $0.4 million in license revenue was recognized for non-contingent consideration received, which was allocated to the licenses based on relative selling prices.
	On December 11, 2013, the Company entered into a License and Commercialization Agreement, or the Sanofi License Agreement, with Sanofi. Effective as of December 11, 2013, the Company entered into a supply agreement, or the Sanofi Supply Agreement, with Sanofi Winthrop Industrie, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sanofi. Under the terms of the Sanofi License Agreement, Sanofi received an exclusive license to commercialize and promote VIVUS’s drug avanafil for therapeutic use in humans in Africa, the Middle East—Turkey and Eurasia, or the Sanofi Territory. In February of 2014, the Company achieved a manufacturing milestone for which a $3.5 million payment was earned, in addition to the first manufacturing milestone payment of $1.5 million received in December 2013. For the three months ended March 31, 2014, VIVUS recognized $2.4 million in license revenue related to the non-contingent consideration that was allocated to the licenses delivered in December 2013 based on relative estimated selling prices. In addition, $2.7 million in supply revenue was recognized in the three months ended March 31, 2014 for the avanafil API delivered under the Sanofi Supply Agreement.  The amount recognized represents the allocated non-contingent considerations received in February 2014 and December 2013, for which revenue recognition was deferred as of December 31, 2013.

LONGTERM_DEBT

LONG-TERM DEBT	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
LONG-TERM DEBT.	'
LONG-TERM DEBT	'
	13. LONG-TERM DEBT
	Convertible Senior Notes Due 2020
	On May 21, 2013, the Company closed an offering of $220.0 million in 4.5% Convertible Senior Notes due May 1, 2020, or the Convertible Notes. The Convertible Notes are governed by an indenture, dated as of May 21, 2013, between the Company and Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as trustee. On May 29, 2013, the Company closed on an additional $30.0 million of Convertible Notes upon exercise of an option by the initial purchasers of the Convertible Notes. Total net proceeds from the Convertible Notes were approximately $241.8 million. For the three months ended March 31, 2014, total interest expense was $8.0 million, which includes $3.6 million of amortization of the debt discount and $189,000 amortization of deferred financing costs. The remaining expected life of the Convertible Notes at March 31, 2014 is 4.7 years. As of March 31, 2014, the Convertible Notes were not convertible and the if-converted value did not exceed their principal amount.
	Senior Secured Notes Due 2018
	On March 25, 2013, the Company entered into the Purchase and Sale Agreement between the Company and BioPharma Secured Investments III Holdings Cayman LP, a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership, providing for the purchase of a debt-like instrument, or the Senior Secured Notes. Under the agreement, the Company received $50 million, less $500,000 in funding and facility payments, at the initial closing on April 9, 2013. The Company had the option but elected not to exercise it to receive an additional $60 million, less $600,000 in a funding payment, at a secondary closing no later than January 15, 2014. For the three months ended March 31, 2014, the imputed interest expense for the Senior Secured Notes was $1.9 million, including $119,000 amortization of deferred financing costs.
	The following table summarizes information on the debt (in thousands):
		March 31,
		2014
	Convertible Senior Notes due 2020:
	Fair value of the liability component at issuance date	$	154,737
	Accumulated accretion of discount	11,935
	Net carrying value	$	166,672
	Senior Secured Notes due 2018:
	Carrying value	$	50,000	-1
	Total Notes:
	Fair value of the liability component at issuance date	$	204,737
	Accumulated accretion of discount	11,935
	Net carrying amount	$	216,672
	(1)             Approximately $78 thousand is classified as current and included in accrued and other current liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2014.

NET_INCOME_LOSS_PER_SHARE

NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE	'
NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE	'
	14. NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE
	The Company computes basic net income (loss) per share applicable to common stockholders based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share is based on the weighted average number of common and common equivalent shares, which represent shares that may be issued in the future upon the exercise of outstanding stock options or upon a net share settlement of the Company’s Convertible Notes. Common share equivalents are excluded from the computation in periods in which they have an anti-dilutive effect. Stock options for which the price exceeds the average market price over the period have an anti-dilutive effect on net income per share and, accordingly, are excluded from the calculation. The triggering conversion conditions that allow holders of the Convertible Notes to convert have not been met. If such conditions are met and the note holders opt to convert, the Company may choose to pay in cash, common stock, or a combination thereof; however, if this occurs, the Company has the intent and ability to net share settle this debt security; thus the Company uses the treasury stock method for earnings per share purposes. Due to the effect of the capped call instrument purchased in relation to the Convertible Notes, there would be no net shares issued until the market value of the Company’s stock exceeds $20 per share, and thus no impact on diluted net income per share. Further, when there is a net loss, potentially dilutive common equivalent shares are not included in the calculation of net loss per share since their inclusion would be anti-dilutive.
	As the Company recognized a net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, all potential common equivalent shares were excluded for these periods as they were anti-dilutive. For the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, awards and options outstanding of 8,551,975 and 5,461,000, respectively, were not included in the computation of diluted net loss per share for the Company because the effect would be anti-dilutive.

INCOME_TAXES

INCOME TAXES	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
INCOME TAXES	'
INCOME TAXES	'
	15. INCOME TAXES
	For the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, we recorded a $436,000 tax benefit and $6,000 income tax expense, respectively. The tax benefit in the current period relates to tax liabilities in certain states, offset by a tax refund received from the state of New Jersey, as a result of a settlement of an audit and acceptance of a refund claim for the tax year ended December 31, 2007.
	The Company assesses the likelihood that it will be able to recover its deferred tax assets on a quarterly basis. The Company considers all available evidence, both positive and negative, including historical levels of income, expectations and risks associated with estimates of future taxable income and ongoing prudent and feasible tax planning strategies in assessing the need for a valuation allowance. If it is not more likely than not that the Company will recover its deferred tax assets, the Company will increase its provision for taxes by recording a valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets that the Company estimates will not ultimately be recoverable. As a result of the Company’s analysis of all available evidence, both positive and negative, as of December 31, 2013, it was considered more likely than not that the Company’s deferred tax assets would not be realized. However, should there be a change in the Company’s ability to recover its deferred tax assets, the Company would recognize a benefit to its tax provision in the period in which the Company determines that it is more likely than not that it will recover its deferred tax assets.
	There were no material changes to our unrecognized tax benefits in the three months ended March 31, 2014, and we do not expect to have any significant changes to unrecognized tax benefits through the end of the fiscal year. Because of our history of tax losses, certain tax years remain open to tax audit.

LEGAL_MATTERS

LEGAL MATTERS	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
LEGAL MATTERS	'
LEGAL MATTERS	'
	16. LEGAL MATTERS
	Securities Related Class Action and Shareholder Derivative Lawsuits
	The Company, a current officer and a former officer were defendants in a putative class action captioned Kovtun v. VIVUS, Inc., et al., Case No. 4:10-CV-04957-PJH, in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. The action, filed in November 2010, alleged violations of Section 10(b) and 20(a) of the federal Securities Exchange Act of 1934 based on allegedly false or misleading statements made by the defendants in connection with the Company’s clinical trials and New Drug Application, or NDA, for Qsymia as a treatment for obesity. The Court granted defendants’ motions to dismiss both plaintiff’s Amended Class Action Complaint and Second Amended Class Action Complaint; by order dated September 27, 2012, the latter dismissal was with prejudice and final judgment was entered for defendants the same day. On October 26, 2012, plaintiff filed a Notice of Appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Briefing of the appeal is complete, and the parties are awaiting word on whether the Court of Appeals wishes to entertain oral argument.
	Additionally, certain of the Company’s current and former officers and directors are defendants in a shareholder derivative lawsuit captioned Turberg v. Logan, et al., Case No. CV-10-05271-PJH, pending in the same federal court. In the plaintiff’s Verified Amended Shareholder Derivative Complaint filed June 3, 2011, the plaintiff largely restated the allegations of the Kovtun action and alleged that the directors breached fiduciary duties to the Company by purportedly permitting the Company to violate the federal securities laws as alleged in the Kovtun action. The same individuals are also named defendants in consolidated shareholder derivative suits pending in the California Superior Court, Santa Clara County, under the caption In re VIVUS, Inc. Derivative Litigation, Master File No. 11 0 CV188439. The allegations in the state court derivative suits are substantially similar to the other lawsuits. The Company is named as a nominal defendant in these actions, neither of which seeks any recovery from the Company. The parties have agreed to stay the derivative lawsuits pending the outcome of the appeal of the securities class action.
	The Company and its directors cannot predict the outcome of the various shareholder lawsuits, but they believe the various shareholder lawsuits are without merit and intend to continue vigorously defending them.
	On July 12, 2013, various current and former officers and directors of the Company were named as defendants in a separate shareholder derivative lawsuit filed in the California Superior Court, Santa Clara County, and captioned Ira J. Gaines IRA, et al. v. Leland F. Wilson, et al., Case No.1-13-CV-249436. The lawsuit generally alleges breaches of the fiduciary duty of care in connection with the launch of Qsymia, breaches of the duty of loyalty and insider trading by some defendants for selling Company stock while purportedly being aware that the Qsymia launch would be less successful than predicted and corporate waste. Again, the Company is named as a nominal defendant, and no recovery from the Company is sought. As with the other shareholder derivative litigation, the Company does have certain indemnification obligations to the named defendants, including to advance defense costs to the individuals. The Company also maintains directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that it believes affords coverage for much of the anticipated cost of the proceedings, subject to the policies’ terms and conditions. On October 21, 2013, the Company filed a demurrer seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed in its entirety for failure to make a pre-suit demand upon the Company’s Board of Directors or plead sufficient facts to show that such demand would have been futile. At a hearing on the demurrer held March 14, 2014, the Court sustained the demurrer and dismissed the complaint, albeit with leave to amend. A formal order memorializing the Court’s ruling was entered March 21, 2014. On April 21, 2014, derivative plaintiffs filed their Amended Shareholder Derivative Complaint alleging substantially similar breaches of duty.  The Company intends to respond with a renewed demurrer. That motion is currently scheduled to be filed May 21, 2014. The Company cannot predict the outcome of that motion. The individual defendants deny the material allegations and have indicated an intention to defend them vigorously to the extent the case is permitted to go forward.
	On March 27, 2014, Mary Jane and Thomas Jasin, who purport to be purchasers of VIVUS common stock, filed an Amended Complaint alleging securities fraud against the Company and three of its former officers and directors.  Plaintiffs served the defendants a few days after filing the Amended Complaint. The Amended Complaint in the action, styled Jasin v. VIVUS, Inc., Case No. 114-cv-261427 pending in the California Superior Court, Santa Clara County, asserts claims for violation of California Corporations Code Sections 25400 and 25401 and Business and Professions Code Section 17200.  Plaintiffs allege generally that defendants misrepresented the prospects for the Company’s success, including with the launch of Qsymia, while purportedly selling VIVUS stock for personal profit. The factual allegations include substantial overlap with the allegations in the Gaines action.
	Plaintiffs allege losses of “at least” $2.8 million, and their prayer seeks damages plus attorney’s and expert witness fees, among other relief.  By agreement among the parties, defendants’ response to the Amended Complaint is due June 2, 2014. VIVUS cannot predict the outcome of any motion defendants may bring in response to the Amended Complaint, or of the case more generally. Defendants believe, however, that the allegations of the Amended Complaint are without merit and intend to defend the claims vigorously.

SEGMENT_INFORMATION

SEGMENT INFORMATION	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
SEGMENT INFORMATION	'
SEGMENT INFORMATION	'
	17. SEGMENT INFORMATION
	The Company operates in one reportable segment—the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic products. The Company has identified its Chief Executive Officer as the Chief Operating Decision Maker, or CODM, who manages the Company’s operations on a consolidated basis for purposes of allocating resources. When evaluating financial performance, the CODM reviews individual customer and product information, while other financial information is reviewed on a consolidated basis. Therefore, results of operations are reported on a consolidated basis for purposes of segment reporting, consistent with internal management reporting. Disclosures about revenues by product and by geographic area are presented below.
	Geographic Information
	Outside the United States, or ROW, the Company sells products through a commercialization licensee principally in the EU. The geographic classification of product sales was based on the location of the customer. The geographic classification of supply, license and milestone revenue was based on the domicile of the entity from which the revenue was earned.
	Net product revenue by geographic region was as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended March 31,2014
		U.S.		ROW			Total
	Qsymia—Net product revenue	$	9,138	$	—		$	9,138
	STENDRA/SPEDRA—License and milestone revenue	406		18,957		-1	19,363
	STENDRA/SPEDRA—Supply revenue	4,547		2,823			7,370
	STENDRA—Royalty revenue	820		—			820
	Total revenue	$	14,911	$	21,780		$	36,691
	(1)             $16.6 million of which is attributable to Germany.
		Three Months Ended March 31,2013
		U.S.		ROW			Total
	Qsymia—Net product revenue	$	4,112	$	—		$	4,112
	Total revenue	$	4,112	$	—		$	4,112

SUBSEQUENT_EVENTS

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
SUBSEQUENT EVENTS	'
SUBSEQUENT EVENTS	'
	18.  SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
	During April 2014, Menarini, a commercialization partner, launched the commercialization of SPEDRA in Spain, resulting in the Company’s achievement of its fifth and final milestone receivable from Menarini of €3 million, or approximately $4.2 million.

BASIS_OF_PRESENTATION_Policies

BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	'
Basis of Presentation	'
	BASIS OF PRESENTATION
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP, for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2014, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2014. Management has evaluated all events and transactions that occurred after March 31, 2014, through the date these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements were filed. There were no events or transactions during this period that require recognition or disclosure in these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, except as disclosed in Note 18 Subsequent Events. The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP.
	The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 as filed on February 28, 2014 with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of VIVUS, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
	When we refer to “we,” “our,” “us,” the “Company” or “VIVUS” in this document, we mean the Delaware corporation, or VIVUS, Inc., and its California predecessor, as well as all of our consolidated subsidiaries.
Reclassifications	'
	Reclassifications
	Certain prior year amounts in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.
Use of Estimates	'
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and related disclosures. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including critical accounting policies or estimates related to available-for-sale securities, debt instruments, research and development expenses, income taxes, inventories, revenues, contingencies and litigation and share-based compensation. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience, information received from third-parties and on various market specific and other relevant assumptions that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Fair Value Measurements	'
	Fair Value Measurements
	Financial instruments include cash equivalents, available-for-sale securities, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities. Available-for-sale securities are carried at estimated fair value. The carrying value of cash equivalents, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their estimated fair value due to the relatively short-term nature of these instruments.
	Debt instruments are initially recorded at fair value, with coupon interest and amortization of debt issuance discounts recognized in the statement of operations as interest expense at each period end while such instruments are outstanding. If the Company issues shares to discharge the liability, the debt obligation is derecognized and common stock and additional paid-in capital are recognized on the issuance of those shares.
	The Company’s Convertible Notes, as described in Note 13 Long-Term Debt, contain a conversion option that is classified as equity. The Company determined the fair value of the liability component of the debt instrument and allocated the excess amount from the initial proceeds to the conversion option. The fair value of the debt component was determined by estimating a risk adjusted interest rate, or market yield, at the time of issuance for similar notes that do not include the conversion feature, or equity component. This excess is reported as a debt discount and is amortized as non-cash interest expense, using the interest method, over the expected life of the Convertible Notes.
	Issuance costs related to the equity component of the Convertible Notes were charged to additional paid-in capital. The remaining portion related to the debt component is being amortized and recorded as additional interest expense over the expected life of the Convertible Notes. In connection with the issuance of the Convertible Notes, the Company entered into capped call transactions with certain counterparties affiliated with the underwriters. The fair value of the purchased capped calls was recorded to stockholders’ equity.
Revenue from Multiple-Element Arrangements	'
	Revenue from Multiple-Element Arrangements:
	The Company accounts for multiple-element arrangements, such as license and commercialization agreements in which a customer may purchase several deliverables, in accordance with ASC Topic 605-25, Revenue Recognition—Multiple-Element Arrangements, or ASC 605-25. The Company evaluates if the deliverables in the arrangement represent separate units of accounting. In determining the units of accounting, management evaluates certain criteria, including whether the deliverables have value to its customers on a stand-alone basis. Factors considered in this determination include whether the deliverable is proprietary to the Company, whether the customer can use the license or other deliverables for their intended purpose without the receipt of the remaining elements, whether the value of the deliverable is dependent on the undelivered items, and whether there are other vendors that can provide the undelivered items. Deliverables that meet these criteria are considered a separate unit of accounting. Deliverables that do not meet these criteria are combined and accounted for as a single unit of accounting.
	When deliverables are separable, the Company allocates non-contingent consideration to each separate unit of accounting based upon the relative selling price of each element. When applying the relative selling price method, the Company determines the selling price for each deliverable using vendor-specific objective evidence, or VSOE, of selling price, if it exists, or third-party evidence, or TPE, of selling price, if it exists. If neither VSOE nor TPE of selling price exists for a deliverable, the Company uses best estimated selling price, or BESP, for that deliverable. Significant management judgment may be required to determine the relative selling price of each element. Revenue allocated to each element is then recognized based on when the following four basic revenue recognition criteria are met for each element: (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (ii) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered; (iii) the price is fixed or determinable; and (iv) collectability is reasonably assured.
	Determining whether and when some of these criteria have been satisfied often involves assumptions and judgments that can have a significant impact on the timing and amount of revenue the Company reports. Changes in assumptions or judgments, or changes to the elements in an arrangement, could cause a material increase or decrease in the amount of revenue reported in a particular period.
	ASC Topic 605-28, Revenue Recognition—Milestone Method (ASC 605-28), established the milestone method as an acceptable method of revenue recognition for certain contingent, event-based payments under research and development arrangements. Under the milestone method, a payment that is contingent upon the achievement of a substantive milestone is recognized in its entirety in the period in which the milestone is achieved. A milestone is an event: (i) that can be achieved based in whole or in part on either the Company’s performance or on the occurrence of a specific outcome resulting from the Company’s performance, (ii) for which there is substantive uncertainty at the date the arrangement is entered into that the event will be achieved, and (iii) that would result in additional payments being due to the Company. The determination that a milestone is substantive requires judgment and is made at the inception of the arrangement. Milestones are considered substantive when the consideration earned from the achievement of the milestone is: (i) commensurate with either the Company’s performance to achieve the milestone or the enhancement of value of the item delivered as a result of a specific outcome resulting from the Company’s performance to achieve the milestone, (ii) relates solely to past performance, and (iii) is reasonable relative to all deliverables and payment terms in the arrangement.
	Other contingent, event-based payments received for which payment is either contingent solely upon the passage of time or the results of a collaborative partner’s performance are not considered milestones under ASC 605-28. In accordance with ASC 605-25, such payments will be recognized as revenue when all of the four basic revenue recognition criteria are met.
	Revenues recognized for royalty payments are recognized as net sales are reported in accordance with the terms of the license and commercialization agreements.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	'
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	There have been no recent accounting pronouncements or changes in accounting pronouncements during the three months ended March 31, 2014, as compared to the recent accounting pronouncements described in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, that are of significance, or potential significance, to the Company.
Share-Based Compensation	'
	The Company accounts for share-based compensation arrangements in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB’s, Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation, or ASC 718, and ASC 505-50, Equity — Equity Based Payments to Non-Employees.
Marketable Securities Available for Sale	'
	As of March 31, 2014, all of the Company’s available-for-sale securities have original contractual maturities up to 24 months. However, the Company may or may not hold securities with stated maturities greater than 12 months until maturity. In response to changes in the availability of and the yield on alternative investments as well as liquidity requirements, the Company may sell these securities prior to their stated maturities. As these securities are viewed by the Company as available to support current operations, securities with maturities beyond 12 months are classified as current assets. Due to their short-term maturities, the Company believes that the fair value of its bank deposits, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate their carrying value.
Inventories	'
	Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined using the first-in, first-out method for all inventories, which are valued using a weighted average cost method calculated for each production batch. The Company periodically evaluates the carrying value of inventory on hand for potential excess amount over demand using the same lower of cost or market approach as that used to value the inventory. As a result of this evaluation no charge was recorded in the three months ended March 31, 2014.
Earnings Per Share	'
	The Company computes basic net income (loss) per share applicable to common stockholders based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share is based on the weighted average number of common and common equivalent shares, which represent shares that may be issued in the future upon the exercise of outstanding stock options or upon a net share settlement of the Company’s Convertible Notes. Common share equivalents are excluded from the computation in periods in which they have an anti-dilutive effect. Stock options for which the price exceeds the average market price over the period have an anti-dilutive effect on net income per share and, accordingly, are excluded from the calculation. The triggering conversion conditions that allow holders of the Convertible Notes to convert have not been met. If such conditions are met and the note holders opt to convert, the Company may choose to pay in cash, common stock, or a combination thereof; however, if this occurs, the Company has the intent and ability to net share settle this debt security; thus the Company uses the treasury stock method for earnings per share purposes. Due to the effect of the capped call instrument purchased in relation to the Convertible Notes, there would be no net shares issued until the market value of the Company’s stock exceeds $20 per share, and thus no impact on diluted net income per share. Further, when there is a net loss, potentially dilutive common equivalent shares are not included in the calculation of net loss per share since their inclusion would be anti-dilutive.
Income Taxes	'
	The Company assesses the likelihood that it will be able to recover its deferred tax assets on a quarterly basis. The Company considers all available evidence, both positive and negative, including historical levels of income, expectations and risks associated with estimates of future taxable income and ongoing prudent and feasible tax planning strategies in assessing the need for a valuation allowance. If it is not more likely than not that the Company will recover its deferred tax assets, the Company will increase its provision for taxes by recording a valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets that the Company estimates will not ultimately be recoverable. As a result of the Company’s analysis of all available evidence, both positive and negative, as of December 31, 2013, it was considered more likely than not that the Company’s deferred tax assets would not be realized. However, should there be a change in the Company’s ability to recover its deferred tax assets, the Company would recognize a benefit to its tax provision in the period in which the Company determines that it is more likely than not that it will recover its deferred tax assets.

SHAREBASED_COMPENSATION_Tables

SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION.	'
Schedule of share-based compensation expense	'
	Total share-based compensation expense for all of the Company’s share-based awards is as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2014		2013
	Cost of goods sold	$	34	$	—
	Research and development	274		940
	Selling, general and administrative	2,197		5,121
	Non-recurring charges	343		—
	Total share-based compensation expense	$	2,848	$	6,061

CASH_CASH_EQUIVALENTS_AND_AVAI1

CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND AVAILABLE-FOR-SALE SECURITIES (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND AVAILABLE-FOR-SALE SECURITIES	'
Schedule of fair value and amortized cost of cash, cash equivalents, and available-for-sale securities by major security type	'
		As of March 31, 2014 (in thousands):
	Cash and cash equivalents and available-for-sale	Amortized			Gross		Gross			Estimated
	securities	Cost			Unrealized		Unrealized			Fair Value
					Gains		Losses
	Cash and money market funds	$	89,659		$	—	$	—		$	89,659
	U.S. Treasury securities	226,400			109		—			226,509
	Total	316,059			109		—			316,168
	Less amounts classified as cash and cash equivalents	(89,659		)	—		—			(89,659		)
	Total available-for-sale securities	$	226,400		$	109	$	—		$	226,509
		As of December 31, 2013 (in thousands):
	Cash and cash equivalents and available-for-sale	Amortized			Gross		Gross			Estimated
	securities	Cost			Unrealized		Unrealized			Fair Value
					Gains		Losses
	Cash and money market funds	$	103,262		$	—	$	—		$	103,262
	U.S. Treasury securities	239,959			69		(4		)	240,024
	Total	343,221			69		(4		)	343,286
	Less amounts classified as cash equivalents	(103,262		)	—		—			(103,262		)
	Total available-for-sale securities	$	239,959		$	69	$	(4	)	$	240,024

ACCOUNTS_RECEIVABLE_Tables

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE	'
Schedule of accounts receivable	'
	Accounts receivable consist of (in thousands):
		Balance as of
		March 31, 2014			December 31, 2013
	Qsymia	$	7,990		$	6,777
	STENDRA/SPEDRA	23,249			5,571
		31,239			12,348
	Qsymia allowance for cash discounts	(160		)	(134		)
	Net	$	31,079		$	12,214

INVENTORIES_Tables

INVENTORIES (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
INVENTORIES	'
Schedule of inventory	'
	Inventories consist of (in thousands):
		Balance as of
		March 31, 2014		December 31, 2013
	Raw materials	$	30,382	$	28,545
	Work in process	—		12
	Finished goods	11,600		14,793
	Deferred costs	5,228		5,153
	Total	$	47,210	$	48,503

PREPAID_EXPENSES_AND_OTHER_ASS1

PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER ASSETS (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER ASSETS	'
Schedule of prepaid expenses and other assets	'
	Prepaid expenses and other assets consist of (in thousands):
		Balance as of
		March 31,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Prepaid insurance	$	2,588	$	3,617
	Prepaid sales and marketing expenses	5,309		5,187
	Withholding tax receivable	6,001		5,560
	Debt issuance costs	1,253		1,247
	Other prepaid expenses and assets	3,936		4,327
	Total	$	19,087	$	19,938

NONCURRENT_ASSETS_Tables

NON-CURRENT ASSETS (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
NON-CURRENT ASSETS	'
Schedule of non-current assets	'
	Non-current assets consist of (in thousands):
		Balance as of
		March 31,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Debt issuance costs	$	4,306	$	4,620
	Other non-current assets	1,288		1,281
	Total	$	5,594	$	5,901

ACCRUED_AND_OTHER_LIABILITIES_

ACCRUED AND OTHER LIABILITIES (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
ACCRUED AND OTHER LIABILITIES	'
Schedule of accrued and other liabilities	'
	Accrued and other liabilities consist of (in thousands):
		Balance as of
		March 31,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Accrued interest on debt	$	9,734	$	5,541
	Non-recurring charges (see Note 10)	4,673		4,577
	Accrued employee compensation and benefits	2,260		3,408
	Accrued research and clinical expenses	1,587		1,755
	Accrued manufacturing costs	78		4,071
	Other accrued liabilities	5,938		4,641
	Total	$	24,270	$	23,993

NONRECURRING_CHARGES_Tables

NON-RECURRING CHARGES (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
NON-RECURRING CHARGES	'
Schedule of activities for the Company's and cost reduction plan obligations	'
	The following table sets forth activities for the Company’s cost reduction plan obligations during the three months ended March 31, 2014 (in thousands):
		Severance			Facilities-			Total
		obligations			related
					obligations
	Balance of accrued costs at December 31, 2013	$	6,509		$	1,022		$	7,531
	Charges*	1,711			—			1,711
	Payments	(1,659		)	(180		)	(1,839		)
	Balance of accrued costs at March 31, 2014	$	6,561		$	842		$	7,403
	* In addition to the above non-recurring charges, as previously described, the Company incurred $0.3 million in non-cash share-based compensation expense for an aggregate total of $2.1 million in non-recurring charges for the three months ended March 31, 2014.
Schedule of balance of the accrued employee severance and facilities-related costs anticipated to be paid out	'
	The balance of the accrued employee severance and facilities-related costs at March 31, 2014 is anticipated to be paid out as follows (in thousands):
	2014 (remaining nine months)	$	3,846
	2015	3,220
	2016	184
	2017	50
	2018	43
	Thereafter	60
		$	7,403

LONGTERM_DEBT_Tables

LONG-TERM DEBT (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
LONG-TERM DEBT.	'
Schedule of debt	'
	The following table summarizes information on the debt (in thousands):
		March 31,
		2014
	Convertible Senior Notes due 2020:
	Fair value of the liability component at issuance date	$	154,737
	Accumulated accretion of discount	11,935
	Net carrying value	$	166,672
	Senior Secured Notes due 2018:
	Carrying value	$	50,000	-1
	Total Notes:
	Fair value of the liability component at issuance date	$	204,737
	Accumulated accretion of discount	11,935
	Net carrying amount	$	216,672
	(1)             Approximately $78 thousand is classified as current and included in accrued and other current liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2014.

SEGMENT_INFORMATION_Tables

SEGMENT INFORMATION (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
SEGMENT INFORMATION	'
Schedule of net product revenue by geographic region	'
	Net product revenue by geographic region was as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended March 31,2014
		U.S.		ROW			Total
	Qsymia—Net product revenue	$	9,138	$	—		$	9,138
	STENDRA/SPEDRA—License and milestone revenue	406		18,957		-1	19,363
	STENDRA/SPEDRA—Supply revenue	4,547		2,823			7,370
	STENDRA—Royalty revenue	820		—			820
	Total revenue	$	14,911	$	21,780		$	36,691
	(1)             $16.6 million of which is attributable to Germany.
		Three Months Ended March 31,2013
		U.S.		ROW			Total
	Qsymia—Net product revenue	$	4,112	$	—		$	4,112
	Total revenue	$	4,112	$	—		$	4,112

SHAREBASED_COMPENSATION_Detail

SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION	'	'
Total share-based compensation expense	$2,848,000	$6,061,000
Cost of goods sold	'	'
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION	'	'
Total share-based compensation expense	34,000	'
Research and development	'	'
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION	'	'
Total share-based compensation expense	274,000	940,000
Selling, general and administrative	'	'
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION	'	'
Total share-based compensation expense	2,197,000	5,121,000
Non-recurring charges	'	'
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION	'	'
Total share-based compensation expense	343,000	'
Inventory	'	'
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION	'	'
Share-based compensation cost capitalized as part of cost of inventory	$0	$176,000

CASH_CASH_EQUIVALENTS_AND_AVAI2

CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND AVAILABLE-FOR-SALE SECURITIES (Details) (USD $)

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

In Thousands, unless otherwise specified

Maximum

Cash and money market funds

Cash and money market funds

Cash and money market funds

Cash and money market funds

U.S. Treasury securities

U.S. Treasury securities

U.S. Treasury securities

U.S. Treasury securities

Fair Value Measurements, Recurring

Fair Value Measurements, Recurring

Fair Value Measurements, Recurring

Fair Value Measurements, Recurring

Fair Value Inputs Level 1

Fair Value Inputs Level 1

Fair Value Inputs Level 1

Fair Value Inputs Level 1

Cash and cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities, Amortized Cost

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Available-for-sale securities including cash and cash equivalents, Amortized Cost

$316,059

$343,221

'

'

'

$89,659

$103,262

'

'

$226,400

$239,959

'

'

Less amounts classified as cash and cash equivalents, Amortized Cost

-89,659

-103,262

-90,606

-58,605

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Available-for-sale securities, Amortized Cost

226,400

239,959

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Available-for-sale securities, Gross Unrealized Gains

109

69

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

109

69

'

'

Available-for-sale securities, Gross Unrealized Losses

'

-4

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

-4

'

'

Cash and cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities, Estimated Fair Value

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Available-for-sale securities including cash and cash equivalents, Estimated Fair Value

316,168

343,286

'

'

'

'

'

89,659

103,262

'

'

226,509

240,024

Less amounts classified as cash and cash equivalents, Estimated Fair Value

-89,659

-103,262

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Available-for-sale securities, Estimated Fair Value

$226,509

$240,024

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Maximum original contractual maturities of available for sale securities

'

'

'

'

'24 months

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

CASH_CASH_EQUIVALENTS_AND_AVAI3

CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND AVAILABLE-FOR-SALE SECURITIES (Details 2) (Recurring basis, USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Level 2	'	'
Fair value measurements	'	'
Assets where Level 2 or Level 3 valuation techniques were used	$0	$0
Liabilities where Level 2 or Level 3 valuation techniques were used	0	0
Level 3	'	'
Fair value measurements	'	'
Assets where Level 2 or Level 3 valuation techniques were used	0	0
Liabilities where Level 2 or Level 3 valuation techniques were used	$0	$0

ACCOUNTS_RECEIVABLE_Details

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Accounts receivable	'	'
Accounts receivable, gross	$31,239	$12,348
Accounts receivable, net	31,079	12,214
Qsymia	'	'
Accounts receivable	'	'
Accounts receivable, gross	7,990	6,777
Allowance for cash discounts	-160	-134
STENDRA/SPEDRA	'	'
Accounts receivable	'	'
Accounts receivable, gross	$23,249	$5,571

INVENTORIES_Details

INVENTORIES (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Inventory balances	'	'	'
Raw materials	'	$30,382	$28,545
Work in process	'	'	12
Finished goods	'	11,600	14,793
Deferred costs	'	5,228	5,153
Inventories	'	47,210	48,503
Charge for inventories on hand in excess of demand, plus a purchase commitment fee	$5,777	'	'

PREPAID_EXPENSES_AND_OTHER_ASS2

PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER ASSETS (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER ASSETS	'	'
Prepaid insurance	$2,588	$3,617
Prepaid sales and marketing expenses	5,309	5,187
Withholding tax receivable	6,001	5,560
Debt issuance costs	1,253	1,247
Other prepaid expenses and assets	3,936	4,327
Total	$19,087	$19,938

NONCURRENT_ASSETS_Details

NON-CURRENT ASSETS (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
NON-CURRENT ASSETS	'	'
Debt issuance costs	$4,306	$4,620
Other non-current assets	1,288	1,281
Total	$5,594	$5,901

ACCRUED_AND_OTHER_LIABILITIES_1

ACCRUED AND OTHER LIABILITIES (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
ACCRUED AND OTHER LIABILITIES	'	'
Accrued interest on debt	$9,734	$5,541
Non-recurring charges (see Note 10)	4,673	4,577
Accrued employee compensation and benefits	2,260	3,408
Accrued research and clinical expenses	1,587	1,755
Accrued manufacturing costs	78	4,071
Other accrued liabilities	5,938	4,641
Total	$24,270	$23,993

NONCURRENT_ACCRUED_AND_OTHER_L1

NON-CURRENT ACCRUED AND OTHER LIABILITIES (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Restructuring charges	'	'
Non-current accrued and other liabilities	$2.70	'
Non-current accrued and other liabilities	'	'
Restructuring charges	'	'
Non-current accrued and other liabilities	$2.70	$3

NONRECURRING_CHARGES_Details

NON-RECURRING CHARGES (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
			item
Non-recurring charges	'	'	'
Maximum period over which severance payments are being paid	'24 months	'	'
Number of employees reduced	'	'	20
Number of employees reduced (as a percent)	'	'	17.00%
Activity for the Company's cost reduction plan obligations	'	'	'
Balance of accrued costs at the beginning of the period	$7,531,000	'	'
Charges	1,711,000	'	'
Payments	-1,839,000	'	'
Balance of accrued costs at the end of the period	7,403,000	'	7,531,000
Non-cash share-based compensation expense	2,848,000	6,061,000	'
Non-recurring charges	2,054,000	'	'
Additional disclosures	'	'	'
Accrued severance and facilities-related costs, Current	4,673,000	'	4,577,000
Accrued severance and facilities-related costs, Non-current	2,700,000	'	'
Restructuring accrual anticipated to be paid out	'	'	'
2014 (remaining nine months)	3,846,000	'	'
2015	3,220,000	'	'
2016	184,000	'	'
2017	50,000	'	'
2018	43,000	'	'
Thereafter	60,000	'	'
Total	7,403,000	'	7,531,000
Non-recurring charges	'	'	'
Activity for the Company's cost reduction plan obligations	'	'	'
Non-cash share-based compensation expense	300,000	'	'
Non-recurring charges	2,100,000	'	'
Severance obligations	'	'	'
Activity for the Company's cost reduction plan obligations	'	'	'
Balance of accrued costs at the beginning of the period	6,509,000	'	'
Charges	1,711,000	'	'
Payments	-1,659,000	'	'
Balance of accrued costs at the end of the period	6,561,000	'	'
Restructuring accrual anticipated to be paid out	'	'	'
Total	6,561,000	'	'
Facilities-related obligations	'	'	'
Activity for the Company's cost reduction plan obligations	'	'	'
Balance of accrued costs at the beginning of the period	1,022,000	'	'
Payments	-180,000	'	'
Balance of accrued costs at the end of the period	842,000	'	'
Restructuring accrual anticipated to be paid out	'	'	'
Total	$842,000	'	'

DEFERRED_REVENUE_Details

DEFERRED REVENUE (Details)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
	USD ($)	USD ($)	Upfront payments	License and commercialization agreement	License and commercialization agreement	License and commercialization agreement	License and commercialization agreement	License and commercialization agreement	License and commercialization agreement
			Qsymia	STENDRA or SPEDRA	Royalties	Royalties	Royalties	Royalties	Royalties
			USD ($)		SPEDRA	SPEDRA	SPEDRA	STENDRA or SPEDRA	STENDRA or SPEDRA
					Menarini Group	Menarini Group	Menarini Group	Menarini Group	Menarini Group
					USD ($)	EUR (€)	EUR (€)	USD ($)	USD ($)
DEFERRED REVENUE	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Current deferred revenue	$18,024,000	$17,255,000	$12,500,000	'	$500,000	'	'	$5,000,000	$5,000,000
Prepayment received for future royalties	'	'	'	'	'	'	6,700,000	'	'
Prepayment received for future royalties before withholding tax	'	'	'	'	10,600,000	8,000,000	8,000,000	'	'
Reimbursable withholding tax rate (as a percent)	'	'	'	'	'	'	16.00%	'	'
Non-Current deferred revenue	$10,140,000	$10,360,000	'	'	$10,100,000	'	'	'	'
Qsymia shelf life period	'	'	'	'48 months	'	'	'	'	'

LICENSE_COMMERCIALIZATION_AND_1

LICENSE, COMMERCIALIZATION AND SUPPLY AGREEMENTS (Details)

3 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Jul. 05, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Feb. 28, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

USD ($)

License and commercialization agreement

License and commercialization agreement

License and commercialization agreement

License and commercialization agreement

License and commercialization agreement

License and commercialization agreement

License and commercialization agreement

License and commercialization agreement

License and commercialization agreement

License and commercialization agreement

License and commercialization agreement

SPEDRA

SPEDRA

SPEDRA

SPEDRA

SPEDRA

SPEDRA

SPEDRA

SPEDRA

SPEDRA

SPEDRA

SPEDRA

Menarini Group

Menarini Group

Menarini Group

Menarini Group

Menarini Group

Menarini Group

Menarini Group

Auxilium

Sanofi

Sanofi

Sanofi

USD ($)

EUR (€)

Minimum

France

Germany

Italy

United Kingdom

USD ($)

USD ($)

USD ($)

USD ($)

item

EUR (€)

EUR (€)

EUR (€)

EUR (€)

License, commercialization and supply agreements

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Number of European countries covered under the license agreement

'

'

'

40

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Milestone payments earned

'

$16,600,000

€ 12,000,000

'

€ 3,000,000

€ 3,000,000

€ 3,000,000

€ 3,000,000

'

$3,500,000

'

$1,500,000

Supply revenue

7,370,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

4,500,000

'

2,700,000

'

Royalty revenue

820,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

800,000

'

'

'

License and milestone revenue

$19,363,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$400,000

'

$2,400,000

'

LONGTERM_DEBT_Details

LONG-TERM DEBT (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	29-May-13	Mar. 31, 2014	21-May-13	Mar. 31, 2014	Apr. 09, 2013	Mar. 25, 2013
	Convertible Senior Notes Due 2020	Convertible Senior Notes Due 2020	Convertible Senior Notes Due 2020	Convertible Senior Notes Due 2020	Senior Secured Notes Due 2018	Senior Secured Notes Due 2018	Senior Secured Notes Due 2018
					Purchase of a debt-like instrument from BioPharma	Purchase of a debt-like instrument from BioPharma	Purchase of a debt-like instrument from BioPharma
						Initial closing	Secondary closing
Long-term debt	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Amount of offering	'	$30,000,000	'	$220,000,000	'	'	'
Interest rate (as a percent)	'	'	'	4.50%	'	'	'
Net proceeds from offering	'	241,800,000	'	'	'	'	'
Total interest expense recognized	'	'	8,000,000	'	'	'	'
Amortization of debt discount	'	'	3,600,000	'	'	'	'
Amortization of deferred financing costs	'	'	189,000	'	119,000	'	'
Remaining expected life	'4 years 8 months 12 days	'	'	'	'	'	'
Amount received	'	'	'	'	'	50,000,000	'
Amount received in funding and facility payments	'	'	'	'	'	500,000	'
Additional discretionary amount receivable	'	'	'	'	'	'	60,000,000
Additional discretionary amount receivable in funding and facility payments	'	'	'	'	'	'	600,000
Imputed interest	'	'	'	'	$1,900,000	'	'

LONGTERM_DEBT_Details_2

LONG-TERM DEBT (Details 2) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Long-term debt	'
Fair value of the liability component at issuance date	$204,737
Accumulated accretion of discount	11,935
Net carrying amount	216,672
Debt classified as current	78
Convertible Senior Notes Due 2020	'
Long-term debt	'
Fair value of the liability component at issuance date	154,737
Accumulated accretion of discount	11,935
Net carrying amount	166,672
Senior Secured Notes Due 2018	'
Long-term debt	'
Net carrying amount	$50,000

NET_INCOME_LOSS_PER_SHARE_Deta

NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE	'	'
Equivalent shares of options excluded from computation of diluted net income (loss) per share because they have an anti-dilutive effect	8,551,975	5,461,000
Convertible Notes	'	'
Net income (loss) per share	'	'
Net shares issued	0	'
Minimum stock price to trigger conversion of debt (in dollars per share)	20	'

INCOME_TAXES_Details

INCOME TAXES (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
INCOME TAXES	'	'
Income tax (benefit) expense	($436)	$6
Changes to unrecognized tax benefits	$0	'

LEGAL_MATTERS_Details

LEGAL MATTERS (Details) (USD $)	Nov. 30, 2010	Jul. 12, 2013	Mar. 27, 2014	Mar. 27, 2014
	Federal securities class action lawsuit	Shareholder derivative lawsuit	Securities fraud lawsuit	Securities fraud lawsuit
	item		item	Minimum
Securities Related Class Action and Shareholder Derivative Lawsuits	'	'	'	'
Loss contingency, number of former officers, defendants in lawsuit	2	'	'	'
Amount of damages sought	'	$0	'	$2,800,000
Number of former officers and directors against whom complaint is filed	'	'	3	'

SEGMENT_INFORMATION_Details

SEGMENT INFORMATION (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
	item
SEGMENT INFORMATION	'	'
Number of operating segments	1	'
Segment information	'	'
Net product revenue	$9,138	$4,112
License and milestone revenue	19,363	'
Supply revenue	7,370	'
Royalty revenue	820	'
Total revenue	36,691	4,112
U.S.	'	'
Segment information	'	'
Total revenue	14,911	'
ROW	'	'
Segment information	'	'
Total revenue	21,780	'
Qsymia	'	'
Segment information	'	'
Net product revenue	9,138	4,112
Total revenue	'	4,112
Qsymia | U.S.	'	'
Segment information	'	'
Net product revenue	9,138	4,112
Total revenue	'	4,112
STENDRA/SPEDRA	'	'
Segment information	'	'
License and milestone revenue	19,363	'
Supply revenue	7,370	'
STENDRA/SPEDRA | U.S.	'	'
Segment information	'	'
License and milestone revenue	406	'
Supply revenue	4,547	'
STENDRA/SPEDRA | ROW	'	'
Segment information	'	'
License and milestone revenue	18,957	'
Supply revenue	2,823	'
STENDRA/SPEDRA | Germany	'	'
Segment information	'	'
License and milestone revenue	16,600	'
STENDRA	'	'
Segment information	'	'
Royalty revenue	820	'
STENDRA | U.S.	'	'
Segment information	'	'
Royalty revenue	$820	'

SUBSEQUENT_EVENTS_Details

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS (Details) (License and commercialization agreement, SPEDRA, Menarini)	1 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Apr. 30, 2014	Apr. 30, 2014
	USD ($)	EUR (€)	Subsequent events	Subsequent events
			USD ($)	EUR (€)
Subsequent events	'	'	'	'
Amount received on achievement of its fifth and final milestone	$16.60	€ 12	$4.20	€ 3