| 
           Fair Value Measurements, On Recurring Basis (Details) (Recurring [Member], USD $)
  
         | 
        
           Mar. 31, 2015 
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           Dec. 31, 2014 
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        | Assets: [Abstract] | 
         
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         | 
         
 | 
         | 
      
      
        | Money market funds | 
        
$ 60,073,000xoma_MoneyMarketFundsFairValueDisclosure
 | 
        [1] | 
        
$ 67,569,000xoma_MoneyMarketFundsFairValueDisclosure
 | 
        [1] | 
      
      
        | Foreign exchange options | 
        
0us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyContractAssetFairValueDisclosure
 | 
         | 
        
6,000us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyContractAssetFairValueDisclosure
 | 
         | 
      
      
        | Total | 
        
60,073,000us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosure
 | 
         | 
        
67,575,000us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosure
 | 
         | 
      
      
        | Liabilities: [Abstract] | 
         
 | 
         | 
         
 | 
         | 
      
      
        | Contingent warrant liabilities | 
        
31,868,000us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure
 | 
         | 
        
31,828,000us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure
 | 
         | 
      
      
        | 
           Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member] 
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         | 
         
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        | Assets: [Abstract] | 
         
 | 
         | 
         
 | 
         | 
      
      
        | Money market funds | 
        
60,073,000xoma_MoneyMarketFundsFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
 | 
        [1] | 
        
67,569,000xoma_MoneyMarketFundsFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
 | 
        [1] | 
      
      
        | Foreign exchange options | 
        
0us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyContractAssetFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
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         | 
        
0us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyContractAssetFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
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         | 
      
      
        | Total | 
        
60,073,000us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
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         | 
        
67,569,000us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
 | 
         | 
      
      
        | Liabilities: [Abstract] | 
         
 | 
         | 
         
 | 
         | 
      
      
        | Contingent warrant liabilities | 
        
0us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
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         | 
        
0us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
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         | 
      
      
        | 
           Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] 
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         | 
      
      
        | Assets: [Abstract] | 
         
 | 
         | 
         
 | 
         | 
      
      
        | Money market funds | 
        
0xoma_MoneyMarketFundsFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
 | 
        [1] | 
        
0xoma_MoneyMarketFundsFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
 | 
        [1] | 
      
      
        | Foreign exchange options | 
        
0us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyContractAssetFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
 | 
         | 
        
6,000us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyContractAssetFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
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         | 
      
      
        | Total | 
        
0us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
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         | 
        
6,000us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
 | 
         | 
      
      
        | Liabilities: [Abstract] | 
         
 | 
         | 
         
 | 
         | 
      
      
        | Contingent warrant liabilities | 
        
0us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
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         | 
        
0us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
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         | 
      
      
        | 
           Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] 
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 | 
         | 
      
      
        | Assets: [Abstract] | 
         
 | 
         | 
         
 | 
         | 
      
      
        | Money market funds | 
        
0xoma_MoneyMarketFundsFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
 | 
        [1] | 
        
0xoma_MoneyMarketFundsFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
 | 
        [1] | 
      
      
        | Foreign exchange options | 
        
0us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyContractAssetFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
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         | 
        
0us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyContractAssetFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
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        | Total | 
        
0us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
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         | 
        
0us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
 | 
         | 
      
      
        | Liabilities: [Abstract] | 
         
 | 
         | 
         
 | 
         | 
      
      
        | Contingent warrant liabilities | 
        
$ 31,868,000us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
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         | 
        
$ 31,828,000us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis = us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis = us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
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