Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes For the three months ended June 30, 2013, the Company recorded a net benefit from income taxes of $1.8 million. This benefit from income taxes was due to a benefit from income taxes of $2.4 million attributable to noncontrolling interest (Alios) offset by a provision for income taxes of $0.6 million attributable to Vertex. In the first quarter of 2013, the Company determined that the fair value of VX-222 was zero, which resulted in an impairment charge of $412.9 million in the six months ended June 30, 2013. In connection with this impairment charge, the Company wrote-off the associated deferred tax liability of $127.6 million resulting in a benefit from income in its condensed consolidated statements of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2013. Please refer to Note I, "Intangible Assets and Goodwill," for further information regarding the impairment charge. For the three months ended June 30, 2012, the Company recorded a benefit from income taxes attributable to Vertex of $1.2 million. For the six months ended June 30, 2012, the Company recorded a provision for income taxes attributable to Vertex of $1.1 million. These were due to state income taxes. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2012, the Company recorded a provision for income taxes attributable to noncontrolling interest (Alios) of $21.2 million and $19.0 million, respectively. The Company has no liability for taxes payable by Alios. As such, the portion of the income tax provision (benefit) related to Alios has been allocated to noncontrolling interest (Alios). As of June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, Alios had a deferred tax liability of $149.7 million and $152.8 million reflected on the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheets, respectively. As of June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company had no material unrecognized tax benefits and no adjustments to liabilities or operations were required. The Company does not expect that its unrecognized tax benefits will materially increase within the next twelve months. The Company did not recognize any material interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions as of June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012. The Company maintains a valuation allowance on its net operating losses and other deferred tax assets because of its extended history of annual losses. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $2.6 billion and tax credits of $98.0 million, which may be used to offset future federal income tax liability. For state income tax purposes, the Company had net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $1.5 billion and tax credits of $60.3 million at December 31, 2012, which may be used to offset future state income tax liability. On a quarterly basis, the Company reassesses the valuation allowance for deferred income tax assets. In future periods, if management determines that it is more likely than not that the deferred tax asset will be realized, (i) the valuation allowance would be decreased, (ii) a portion or all of the deferred tax asset would be reflected on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet and (iii) the Company would record non-cash benefits in its consolidated statements of operations related to the reflection of the deferred tax asset on its consolidated balance sheet. The Company files U.S. federal income tax returns and income tax returns in various state, local and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is no longer subject to any tax assessment from an income tax examination in the United States before 2007 and any other major taxing jurisdiction for years before 2005, except where the Company has net operating losses or tax credit carryforwards that originated before 2005. The Company is currently under examination by Revenue Quebec for the year ended March 11, 2009 and the year ended December 31, 2007. No adjustments have been reported. The Company is not under examination by any other jurisdictions for any tax year. The Company currently intends to reinvest the total amount of its unremitted earnings, which have not been significant to date, in the local international jurisdiction or to repatriate the earnings only when tax-effective. As a result, the Company has not provided for U.S. federal income taxes on the unremitted earnings of its international subsidiaries. Upon repatriation of those earnings, in the form of dividends or otherwise, the Company would be subject to U.S. federal income taxes (subject to an adjustment for foreign tax credits) and withholding taxes payable to the various foreign countries. At June 30, 2013, foreign earnings, which were not significant, have been retained indefinitely by foreign subsidiary companies for reinvestment; therefore, no provision has been made for income taxes that would be payable upon the distribution of such earnings, and it would not be practicable to determine the amount of the related unrecognized deferred income tax liability.

Income Taxes

For the three months ended June 30, 2013, the Company recorded a net benefit from income taxes of $1.8 million. This benefit from income taxes was due to a benefit from income taxes of $2.4 million attributable to noncontrolling interest (Alios) offset by a provision for income taxes of $0.6 million attributable to Vertex. In the first quarter of 2013, the Company determined that the fair value of VX-222 was zero, which resulted in an impairment charge of $412.9 million in the six months ended June 30, 2013. In connection with this impairment charge, the Company wrote-off the associated deferred tax liability of $127.6 million resulting in a benefit from income in its condensed consolidated statements of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2013. Please refer to Note I, "Intangible Assets and Goodwill," for further information regarding the impairment charge.

For the three months ended June 30, 2012, the Company recorded a benefit from income taxes attributable to Vertex of $1.2 million. For the six months ended June 30, 2012, the Company recorded a provision for income taxes attributable to Vertex of $1.1 million. These were due to state income taxes. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2012, the Company recorded a provision for income taxes attributable to noncontrolling interest (Alios) of $21.2 million and $19.0 million, respectively.

The Company has no liability for taxes payable by Alios. As such, the portion of the income tax provision (benefit) related to Alios has been allocated to noncontrolling interest (Alios). As of June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, Alios had a deferred tax liability of $149.7 million and $152.8 million reflected on the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheets, respectively.

As of June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company had no material unrecognized tax benefits and no adjustments to liabilities or operations were required. The Company does not expect that its unrecognized tax benefits will materially increase within the next twelve months. The Company did not recognize any material interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions as of June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012.

The Company maintains a valuation allowance on its net operating losses and other deferred tax assets because of its extended history of annual losses. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $2.6 billion and tax credits of $98.0 million, which may be used to offset future federal income tax liability. For state income tax purposes, the Company had net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $1.5 billion and tax credits of $60.3 million at December 31, 2012, which may be used to offset future state income tax liability. On a quarterly basis, the Company reassesses the valuation allowance for deferred income tax assets. In future periods, if management determines that it is more likely than not that the deferred tax asset will be realized, (i) the valuation allowance would be decreased, (ii) a portion or all of the deferred tax asset would be reflected on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet and (iii) the Company would record non-cash benefits in its consolidated statements of operations related to the reflection of the deferred tax asset on its consolidated balance sheet.

The Company files U.S. federal income tax returns and income tax returns in various state, local and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is no longer subject to any tax assessment from an income tax examination in the United States before 2007 and any other major taxing jurisdiction for years before 2005, except where the Company has net operating losses or tax credit carryforwards that originated before 2005. The Company is currently under examination by Revenue Quebec for the year ended March 11, 2009 and the year ended December 31, 2007. No adjustments have been reported. The Company is not under examination by any other jurisdictions for any tax year.

The Company currently intends to reinvest the total amount of its unremitted earnings, which have not been significant to date, in the local international jurisdiction or to repatriate the earnings only when tax-effective. As a result, the Company has not provided for U.S. federal income taxes on the unremitted earnings of its international subsidiaries. Upon repatriation of those earnings, in the form of dividends or otherwise, the Company would be subject to U.S. federal income taxes (subject to an adjustment for foreign tax credits) and withholding taxes payable to the various foreign countries. At June 30, 2013, foreign earnings, which were not significant, have been retained indefinitely by foreign subsidiary companies for reinvestment; therefore, no provision has been made for income taxes that would be payable upon the distribution of such earnings, and it would not be practicable to determine the amount of the related unrecognized deferred income tax liability.