Collaborative Arrangements (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended				1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2009 Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V. transactions	Jul. 31, 2006 Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V.	Jun. 30, 2006 Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V. years	Sep. 30, 2011 Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V.	Mar. 31, 2011 Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V.	Sep. 30, 2010 Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V.	Sep. 30, 2011 Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V.	Sep. 30, 2010 Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V.	Dec. 31, 2010 Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V.	Dec. 31, 2009 Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V.	Dec. 31, 2007 Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V.	Jul. 31, 2009 Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation days	Sep. 30, 2011 Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation	Sep. 30, 2010 Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation	Sep. 30, 2011 Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation	Sep. 30, 2010 Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation	Apr. 30, 2011 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Incorporated years	Sep. 30, 2011 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Incorporated	Sep. 30, 2011 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Incorporated payments	Dec. 31, 2006 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Incorporated amendments	Jun. 30, 2011 Alios BioPharma, Inc days years analogues	Sep. 30, 2011 Alios BioPharma, Inc lines	Jun. 30, 2011 Alios BioPharma, Inc	Sep. 30, 2011 Alios BioPharma, Inc lines	Jun. 13, 2011 Alios BioPharma, Inc
Schedule of Collaborative Arrangements
Drug development costs to be paid by collaborator (as a percent)										50.00%				50.00%
Up-front license payment									$ 165,000,000
Decrease in revenue recognition per quarter due to change in estimate regarding period of performance under Janssen collaboration agreement																1,400,000	1,100,000	2,600,000
Deferred revenue related to up-front license payment											59,000,000			59,000,000						22,300,000		22,300,000
Total contingent milestone payments earned														350,000,000
Milestone payment earned pusuant to the collaborative agreement											200,000,000	50,000,000		250,000,000
Number of financial transactions entered into related to milestones (in transactions)								2
Tiered royalty average range, as a percentage of net sales in the Janssen territories										mid-20% range
Notice period required to terminate without cause after receipt of marketing approval (in years)										1
License fee paid upon amendment of agreement																			105,000,000
Contingent milestone payment, low end of range																			15,000,000
Contingent milestone payment, high end of range																			65,000,000
Notice period required to terminate without cause (in days)																			60
Collaborative revenues recognized
Amortized portion of up-front payment											3,107,000		3,107,000	9,321,000	9,321,000					9,558,000	9,558,000	28,674,000	28,674,000
Development milestone revenues											200,000,000			250,000,000						1,758,000		3,152,000							10,000,000	10,000,000
Net reimbursement (payment) for telaprevir development costs											(2,557,000)		1,148,000	(6,810,000)	7,055,000
Reimbursement for manufacturing services											7,170,000		311,000	20,383,000	6,536,000					8,184,000	1,498,000	14,032,000	3,976,000
Total collaborative revenues attributable to the collaboration	231,066,000		15,622,000	328,546,000		56,004,000					207,720,000		4,566,000	272,894,000	22,912,000					19,500,000	11,056,000	45,858,000	32,650,000		3,800,000	9,800,000
Number of amendments entered into for partial funding (in amendments)																											2
Collaborative funding																								75,000,000
Number of years over which funding will be made (in years)																								5
Milestone payment received																											1,500,000
Collaborative revenues	231,066,000		15,622,000	328,546,000		56,004,000					207,720,000		4,566,000	272,894,000	22,912,000					19,500,000	11,056,000	45,858,000	32,650,000		3,800,000	9,800,000
Number of commercial milestone payments for achievement of certain sales levels for potentiator compound such as VX-770 (in payments)																										2
Number of commercial milestone payments for achievement of certain sales levels for corrector compound such as VX-809 or VX-661 (in payments)																										2
Number of nucleotide analogues discovered by acquiree (in analogues)																												2
Research and development milestone payments, maximum																												715,000,000
Commercial milestone payments, maximum																												750,000,000
Notice period for termination of contract due to technical failure (in days)																												30
Notice period for termination of contract after completion of clinical trials (in days)																												60
Latest expiration period for royalty obligation after first commercial sale in country unless contract is terminated earlier (in years)																												10
Discount rate for contingent milestones and royalty payments for development milestones, low end of range (as a percent)																																3.60%
Discount rate for contingent milestones and royalty payments for development milestones, high end of range (as a percent)																																6.50%
Discount rate for contingent milestones and royalty payments for commercial milestones and royalties (as a percent)																																9.40%
Up-front payment																													60,000,000		60,000,000	60,000,000
Fair value of contingent milestone and royalty payments																																197,720,000
Total Consideration																																257,720,000
Discount rate for intangible assets acquired (as a percent)																																9.50%
Intangible assets																																250,600,000
Goodwill																																7,399,000
Deferred tax liability	(231,184,000)	[1]		(231,184,000)	[1]		(160,278,000)																					(100,076,000)	(103,598,000)	(100,076,000)	(103,598,000)	(89,155,000)
Net other assets (liabilities)																																(279,000)
Net assets attributable to noncontrolling interests (Alios)																																168,565,000
Noncontrolling Interest (Alios)
Number of lines on balance sheet where noncontrolling interest is reported																													2		2
Development milestone revenues											200,000,000			250,000,000						1,758,000		3,152,000							10,000,000	10,000,000
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes																													(5,258,000)		(6,059,000)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes	(27,842,000)			(3,394,000)																									(4,850,000)		(29,298,000)
Change in fair value of contingent milestone and royalty payments																													17,450,000		17,450,000
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest (Alios)	7,342,000			(17,907,000)																									7,342,000		(17,907,000)
Restricted cash and cash equivalents (Alios)	50,580,000	[1]		50,580,000	[1]																								50,580,000		50,580,000	4,575,000
Accounts receivable, net	445,661,000	[1]		445,661,000	[1]		12,529,000																						25,000		25,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	23,245,000	[1]		23,245,000	[1]		13,099,000																						597,000		597,000	69,000
Property and equipment, net	101,268,000	[1]		101,268,000	[1]		72,333,000																						1,645,000		1,645,000	885,000
Intangible assets	663,500,000	[1]		663,500,000	[1]		518,700,000																						250,600,000		250,600,000	250,600,000
Goodwill	33,501,000	[1]		33,501,000	[1]		26,102,000																						7,399,000		7,399,000	7,399,000
Other assets	13,785,000	[1]		13,785,000	[1]		17,182,000																						133,000		133,000	76,000
Accounts payable	49,248,000	[1]		49,248,000	[1]		35,851,000																						1,905,000		1,905,000	1,189,000
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	229,865,000	[1]		229,865,000	[1]		134,414,000																						1,186,000		1,186,000	1,504,000
Income taxes payable (Alios)	9,755,000	[1]		9,755,000	[1]																								9,755,000		9,755,000
Deferred tax liability	231,184,000	[1]		231,184,000	[1]		160,278,000																					100,076,000	103,598,000	100,076,000	103,598,000	89,155,000
Other liabilities	7,848,000	[1]		7,848,000	[1]		2,265,000																						3,206,000		3,206,000	3,191,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interest (Alios)	36,696,000	[1]		36,696,000	[1]																								36,696,000		36,696,000	36,299,000
Noncontrolling interest (Alios)	$ 114,388,000	[1]		$ 114,388,000	[1]																								$ 114,388,000		$ 114,388,000	$ 132,266,000

[1] Amounts include the assets and liabilities of Vertex's variable interest entity ("VIE"), Alios BioPharma, Inc. ("Alios"). Vertex's interests and obligations with respect to the VIE's assets and liabilities are limited to those accorded to Vertex in its agreement with Alios. See Note K to these condensed consolidated financial statements for amounts.