| **Organization and Business**            | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
||
| **Organization and Business [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Organization and Business                |  1. Organization and BusinessProgenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Progenics," "we" or "us") develops innovative medicines for oncology. Our clinical development efforts center on late-stage oncology assets. We are conducting phase 2 clinical trials of two product candidates for prostate cancer: our therapeutic candidate, PSMA ADC, a fully human monoclonal antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), and 1404 (trofolastat), an imaging agent candidate, and resuming a pivotal phase 2 clinical trial of Azedra™, our ultra-orphan radiotherapy candidate for pheochromocytoma. We have also decided to move forward MIP-1095, a compound originally developed by Molecular Insight, into clinical development, and expect to file an IND application in the U.S. later this year.We have licensed our first commercial drug, Relistor® (methylnaltrexone bromide) subcutaneous injection for the treatment of opioid induced constipation (OIC), to Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and have partnered other internally-developed or acquired compounds and technologies with third parties. We continue to consider opportunities for strategic collaborations, out-licenses and other arrangements with biopharmaceutical companies involving proprietary research, development and clinical programs, and may in the future also in-license or acquire additional oncology compounds and/or programs.Our current principal sources of revenue from operations are royalty, commercialization milestone and revenue-sharing payments from Salix's Relistor operations. Royalty and milestone payments from Relistor depend on success in development and commercialization, which is dependent on many factors, such as Salix's efforts, decisions by the FDA and other regulatory bodies such as the July 2012 Complete Response Letter in respect of the Relistor chronic pain sNDA, competition from drugs for the same or similar indications, and the outcome of clinical and other testing of Relistor.We fund our operations to a significant extent from capital-raising.  During 2013, we completed an underwritten public offering of 9.8 million shares of common stock at a public offering price of $4.40 per share, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $40.1 million, and in early 2014 sold an additional 8.75 million shares at $4.60 per share for net proceeds of approximately $37.5 million.Progenics commenced principal operations in 1988, became publicly traded in 1997 and throughout has been engaged primarily in research and development efforts, establishing corporate collaborations and related activities. Certain of our intellectual property rights are held by wholly owned subsidiaries. All of our operations are conducted at our facilities in Tarrytown, New York. We operate under a single research and development segment.Funding and Financial Matters. At December 31, 2013, we held $65.9 million in cash and cash equivalents, an increase of $7.1 million from $58.8 million at December 31, 2012. We expect that this amount, together with the additional 2014 public offering proceeds, will be sufficient to fund operations as currently anticipated beyond one year. We may require additional funding in the future, and if we are unable to conclude favorable collaboration, license, asset sale, capital raising or other financing transactions, we will have to reduce, delay or eliminate spending on some current operations, and/or reduce salary and other overhead expenses, to extend our remaining operations. We expect to incur operating losses during the near term. At December 31, 2013, cash, cash equivalents and auction rate securities increased $6.0 million to $68.1 million from $62.1 million at December 31, 2012. |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_OrganizationConsolidationAndPresentationOfFinancialStatementsAbstract**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The entire disclosure for organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=SL6228881-111685Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 720 -SubTopic 15 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2122524Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6359566&loc=d3e326-107755Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18780-107790Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7668296&loc=d3e288-107754Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2197480Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=18733093&loc=d3e5614-111684Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 915 -SubTopic 235 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6472506&loc=d3e38932-110933Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 852 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2209116Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 272 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70478-108055Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2134480Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2122150
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_OrganizationConsolidationAndPresentationOfFinancialStatementsDisclosureTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |