Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Collaborative and Other Agreements (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Collaborative and Other Agreements (Details) (USD $)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]    
Licensing and collaboration agreement revenue $ 263,000us-gaap_LicenseAndServicesRevenue $ 964,000us-gaap_LicenseAndServicesRevenue
Royalties paid, minimum (in hundredths) 0.50%xoma_RoyaltiesPaidPercentageMinimum  
Royalties paid, maximum (in hundredths) 5.00%xoma_RoyaltiesPaidPercentageMaximum  
Collaborative Arrangement [Member]    
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]    
Eligible milestone payments receivable 433,000,000xoma_EligibleMilestonePaymentsReceivable
/ us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis
= us-gaap_CollaborativeArrangementMember
 
Eligible milestone payments receivable under specific rights not met 770,000,000xoma_EligibleMilestonePaymentsReceivableUnderSpecificRightsNotMet
/ us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis
= us-gaap_CollaborativeArrangementMember
 
Eligible milestone payments receivable, after amendment 415,000,000xoma_EligibleMilestonePaymentsReceivableAfterAmendments
/ us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis
= us-gaap_CollaborativeArrangementMember
 
Eligible milestone payments receivable under specific rights not met, after amendment 752,000,000xoma_EligibleMilestonePaymentsReceivableUnderSpecificRightsNotMetAfterAmendment
/ us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis
= us-gaap_CollaborativeArrangementMember
 
Collaborative Arrangement [Member] | Servier Loan [Member]    
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]    
Future initial research and development expenses to be funded by counterparty 50,000,000xoma_FutureInitialResearchAndDevelopmentExpensesToBeFundedByCounterpartyUnderCollaborativeArrangement
/ us-gaap_DeferredRevenueArrangementTypeAxis
= xoma_ServierLoanMember
/ us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis
= us-gaap_CollaborativeArrangementMember
 
Licensing and collaboration agreement revenue $ 500,000us-gaap_LicenseAndServicesRevenue
/ us-gaap_DeferredRevenueArrangementTypeAxis
= xoma_ServierLoanMember
/ us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis
= us-gaap_CollaborativeArrangementMember
$ 900,000us-gaap_LicenseAndServicesRevenue
/ us-gaap_DeferredRevenueArrangementTypeAxis
= xoma_ServierLoanMember
/ us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis
= us-gaap_CollaborativeArrangementMember
Collaborative Arrangement [Member] | Symplmed Pharmaceuticals [Member]    
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]    
Royalties paid, minimum (in hundredths) 3.00%xoma_RoyaltiesPaidPercentageMinimum
/ us-gaap_DeferredRevenueArrangementTypeAxis
= xoma_SymplmedPharmaceuticalsMember
/ us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis
= us-gaap_CollaborativeArrangementMember
 
Royalties paid, maximum (in hundredths) 10.00%xoma_RoyaltiesPaidPercentageMaximum
/ us-gaap_DeferredRevenueArrangementTypeAxis
= xoma_SymplmedPharmaceuticalsMember
/ us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis
= us-gaap_CollaborativeArrangementMember