POWER OF ATTORNEY

	The undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints each of Valerie L. Andrews and
Omar White of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (the "Company"), and Michael
Fantozzi of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., signing singly,
with full power of substitution, the undersigned's true and lawful
attorney-in-fact to:

1. execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity
as an officer, director and/or 10% shareholder of the Company, forms and
authentication documents for EDGAR Filing Access;
2. do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned which
may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such forms and
authentication documents;
3. execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity
as an officer, director and/or 10% shareholder of the Company, Forms 3, 4 and 5
in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the
rules thereunder;
4. do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned which
may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4 or 5
and timely file such form with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission and any stock exchange or similar authority; and
5. take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the foregoing
which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, in the
best interests of, or legally required by the undersigned, it being understood
that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall
contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such
attorney-in fact's discretion.
       The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power
and authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever
requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights
and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the
undersigned might or could do if personally present, with full power of
substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such
attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of this power of attorney and the
rights and powers herein granted.  The undersigned acknowledges that the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the
undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the
undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

       This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 with respect to the
undersigned's holdings of or transactions in securities issued by the Company,
unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

       This Power of Attorney is intended to constitute a "confirming statement"
for presentation to the Securities and Exchange Commission as contemplated by
Instruction 7(a) of Forms 3, 4 and 5.

       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to
be executed this 30th day of August, 2011.


/s/David T. Howton
Signature


David T. Howton
Print Name