Quarterly Financial Data (unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Jul. 30, 2017	Jul. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues:
Product revenues, net				$ 621,228,000	$ 549,642,000	$ 513,988,000	$ 480,622,000	$ 453,882,000	$ 409,689,000	$ 425,651,000	$ 394,410,000	$ 2,165,480,000	$ 1,683,632,000	$ 1,000,324,000
Royalty revenues				1,345,000	2,231,000	2,861,000	1,551,000	3,887,000	3,835,000	5,282,000	3,596,000	7,988,000	16,600,000	23,959,000
Collaborative revenues				29,061,000	26,292,000	27,286,000	232,545,000	937,000	259,000	675,000	74,000	315,184,000	1,945,000	8,053,000
Total revenues				651,634,000	578,165,000	544,135,000	714,718,000	458,706,000	413,783,000	431,608,000	398,080,000	2,488,652,000	1,702,177,000	1,032,336,000
Costs and expenses:
Cost of product revenues				83,712,000	72,186,000	70,535,000	46,242,000	59,646,000	53,222,000	44,154,000	49,789,000	272,675,000	206,811,000	117,151,000
Royalty expenses				340,000	688,000	670,000	746,000	836,000	855,000	1,098,000	860,000	2,444,000	3,649,000	7,361,000
Research and development expenses				306,664,000	454,947,000	289,451,000	273,563,000	248,452,000	272,370,000	271,008,000	255,860,000	1,324,625,000	1,047,690,000	995,922,000
Sales, general and administrative expenses				134,794,000	120,710,000	127,249,000	113,326,000	109,908,000	106,055,000	111,652,000	105,214,000	496,079,000	432,829,000	376,575,000
Restructuring expenses				387,000	337,000	3,523,000	9,999,000	224,000	8,000	343,000	687,000	14,246,000	1,262,000	2,206,000
Intangible asset impairment charge				0	255,340,000	0	0					255,340,000	0	0
Total costs and expenses				525,897,000	904,208,000	491,428,000	443,876,000	419,066,000	432,510,000	428,255,000	412,410,000	2,365,409,000	1,692,241,000	1,499,215,000
Income (loss) from operations				125,737,000	(326,043,000)	52,707,000	270,842,000	39,640,000	(18,727,000)	3,353,000	(14,330,000)	123,243,000	9,936,000	(466,879,000)
Interest expense, net				(12,547,000)	(13,574,000)	(14,664,000)	(16,765,000)	(20,439,000)	(20,140,000)	(20,155,000)	(20,698,000)	(57,550,000)	(81,432,000)	(84,206,000)
Other (expense) income, net				(748,000)	(77,553,000)	(2,537,000)	(544,000)	1,105,000	(167,000)	(1,219,000)	4,411,000	(81,382,000)	4,130,000	(6,715,000)
Loss before (benefit from) provision for income taxes				112,442,000	(417,170,000)	35,506,000	253,533,000	20,306,000	(39,034,000)	(18,021,000)	(30,617,000)	(15,689,000)	(67,366,000)	(557,800,000)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes				10,257,000	(125,903,000)	4,337,000	3,985,000	(7,453,000)	503,000	18,130,000	5,485,000	(107,324,000)	16,665,000	30,381,000
Net income (loss)				102,185,000	(291,267,000)	31,169,000	249,548,000	27,759,000	(39,537,000)	(36,151,000)	(36,102,000)	91,635,000	(84,031,000)	(588,181,000)
Loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interest				(1,501,000)	188,315,000	(13,173,000)	(1,792,000)	5,186,000	696,000	(28,374,000)	(5,529,000)	171,849,000	(28,021,000)	31,847,000
Net income (loss) attributable to Vertex common shareholders				$ 100,684,000	$ (102,952,000)	$ 17,996,000	$ 247,756,000	$ 32,945,000	$ (38,841,000)	$ (64,525,000)	$ (41,631,000)	$ 263,484,000	$ (112,052,000)	$ (556,334,000)
Net income (loss):
Basic (usd per share)				$ 0.40	$ (0.41)	$ 0.07	$ 1.01	$ 0.13	$ (0.16)	$ (0.26)	$ (0.17)	$ 1.06	$ (0.46)	$ (2.31)
Diluted (usd per share)				$ 0.39	$ (0.41)	$ 0.07	$ 0.99	$ 0.13	$ (0.16)	$ (0.26)	$ (0.17)	$ 1.04	$ (0.46)	$ (2.31)
Shares used in per share calculations:
Basic (in shares)				251,557	250,268	247,521	246,024	245,454	244,920	244,482	243,831	248,858	244,685	241,312
Diluted (in shares)				256,804	250,268	251,635	248,700	247,757	244,920	244,482	243,831	253,225	244,685	241,312
Schedule of Collaborative Arrangement Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative revenues				$ 29,061,000	$ 26,292,000	$ 27,286,000	$ 232,545,000	$ 937,000	$ 259,000	$ 675,000	$ 74,000	$ 315,184,000	$ 1,945,000	$ 8,053,000
Intangible asset impairment charge				0	255,340,000	0	0					255,340,000	0	0
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes				10,257,000	(125,903,000)	4,337,000	3,985,000	$ (7,453,000)	503,000	18,130,000	$ 5,485,000	(107,324,000)	16,665,000	30,381,000
Research and development, early-stage research assets										$ 10,000,000
Merck KGaA
Revenues:
Collaborative revenues												16,600,000
Schedule of Collaborative Arrangement Agreements [Line Items]
Up-front payment							$ 230,000,000.0					230,000,000.0
Collaborative revenues												16,600,000
Parion Sciences, Inc
Revenues:
Collaborative revenues					20,000,000	20,000,000
Costs and expenses:
Intangible asset impairment charge					255,300,000
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes					(126,200,000)
Schedule of Collaborative Arrangement Agreements [Line Items]
Up-front payment			$ 80,000,000									85,000,000		80,000,000
Collaborative revenues					20,000,000	$ 20,000,000
Intangible asset impairment charge					255,300,000
Business combination, contingent consideration arrangements, change in amount of contingent consideration, liability					(69,600,000)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes					(126,200,000)
Janssen
Revenues:
Collaborative revenues				25,000,000
Schedule of Collaborative Arrangement Agreements [Line Items]
Up-front payment															$ 35,000,000
Collaborative revenues				$ 25,000,000
Concert Pharmaceuticals
Schedule of Collaborative Arrangement Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative arrangement, development and commercialization rights potential maximum milestone payments	$ 160,000,000				160,000,000
Moderna Therapeutics, Inc.
Schedule of Collaborative Arrangement Agreements [Line Items]
Up-front payment		$ 20,000,000							$ 20,000,000.0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Costs and expenses:
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes												(114,090,000)	16,743,000	29,731,000
Loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interest												171,849,000	(28,021,000)	31,847,000
Schedule of Collaborative Arrangement Agreements [Line Items]
Business combination, contingent consideration arrangements, change in amount of contingent consideration, liability												(62,560,000)	54,850,000	4,530,000
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes												(114,090,000)	16,743,000	29,731,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Parion Sciences, Inc
Revenues:
Collaborative revenues												40,000,000
Costs and expenses:
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes												14,800,000
Schedule of Collaborative Arrangement Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative revenues												40,000,000
Business combination, contingent consideration arrangements, change in amount of contingent consideration, liability												(63,460,000)	$ 64,800,000	$ 3,660,000
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes												14,800,000
Other Intangible Assets | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Parion Sciences, Inc
Costs and expenses:
Intangible asset impairment charge					255,300,000							255,300,000
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes												(97,700,000)
Schedule of Collaborative Arrangement Agreements [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment charge					$ 255,300,000							255,300,000
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes												$ (97,700,000)