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Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Income Taxes [Line Items]        
Income (loss) before income tax expense benefit (expense)   $ 260,194,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest $ (42,498,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest $ (41,250,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation   16,965,000us-gaap_ExcessTaxBenefitFromShareBasedCompensationOperatingActivities    
Unrecorded excess stock-based compensation tax benefits   81,400,000us-gaap_AdjustmentToAdditionalPaidInCapitalIncomeTaxEffectFromShareBasedCompensationNet    
Federal tax provision at statutory rate   35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Income tax benefit (expense)   16,258,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit (115,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit (7,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Research and development credit and orphan drug credit, expiration dates   2024 through 2034    
Alternative minimum tax credits 4,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsAlternativeMinimumTax 4,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsAlternativeMinimumTax    
Valuation allowance increased (decreased)   104,800,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount 22,100,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount (8,000,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount
Release of valuation allowance for deferred income taxes 33,403,000mdvn_ReleaseOfValuationAllowanceForDeferredIncomeTaxes 33,403,000mdvn_ReleaseOfValuationAllowanceForDeferredIncomeTaxes    
Gross unrecognized tax that would decrease effective tax rate, if recognized 6,700,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 6,700,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate    
Federal [Member]        
Income Taxes [Line Items]        
Operating loss carryforwards 160,600,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= mdvn_FederalMember
160,600,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= mdvn_FederalMember
   
Operating loss carryforwards, expiration dates   2032 and 2033    
Research and development credit and orphan drug credit 29,000,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= mdvn_FederalMember
29,000,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= mdvn_FederalMember
   
State [Member]        
Income Taxes [Line Items]        
Operating loss carryforwards 240,400,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= mdvn_StateMember
240,400,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= mdvn_StateMember
   
Operating loss carryforwards, expiration dates   At various dates between the years 2019 and 2033    
California credit carryforwards [Member]        
Income Taxes [Line Items]        
Research and development credit and orphan drug credit $ 13,800,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= mdvn_CaliforniaCreditCarryforwardsMember
$ 13,800,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= mdvn_CaliforniaCreditCarryforwardsMember