SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended							1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended		4 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2011 Stock options Y	Dec. 31, 2010 Stock options Y	Dec. 31, 2009 Stock options Y	Dec. 31, 2011 Stock options After merger	Sep. 30, 2010 Stock options Biovail Employees - Pre Merger	Sep. 30, 2010 Stock options Valent Employees - Pre Merger month	Dec. 31, 2011 Stock options Valent Employees - Pre Merger	Dec. 31, 2011 Time-Based RSUs Y	Sep. 30, 2010 Time-Based RSUs Biovail Employees - Pre Merger	Sep. 30, 2010 Time-Based RSUs Valent Employees - Pre Merger month	Dec. 31, 2011 Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units Y	Dec. 31, 2010 Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units Prior to merger Y	Dec. 31, 2009 Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units Prior to merger Y	Dec. 31, 2011 Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units After merger Y	Sep. 30, 2010 Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units Biovail Employees - Pre Merger	Sep. 30, 2010 Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units Valent Employees - Pre Merger month	Dec. 31, 2010 Stock options and time-based RSUs Biovail Employees - Pre Merger	Sep. 30, 2010 Stock options and time-based RSUs Valent Employees - Pre Merger
Share-based compensation
Accelerated vesting percentage on the merger date								100.00%				100.00%						100.00%
Incremental compensation expense to reflect an increase in the fair value																		$ 20,300,000		$ 9,600,000
Reversal of previously recognized compensation expense related to nonvested stock options								500,000
Vesting percentage of target achieved for performance upon closing of the merger																		200.00%
Period within which common shares were delivered following the merger date (in days)																		60 days
Compensation expense to reflect the acceleration of vesting term	94,023,000	98,033,000	5,613,000																		20,100,000
Vesting period (in years)										4 years
Term of award, maximum (in years)										10 years
Stock options issued									12,464,417				2,217,003						1,211,833
Summary of compensation cost and weighted average service period
Total compensation cost related to unvested awards to be recognized				48,400,000					66,520,000		25,400,000		30,558,000	36,600,000					24,998,000
Weighted-average service period over which compensation cost is expected to be recognized (in months)				1.8					18		1.5		25	1.7					34
Expiration date of stock options (in years)				P5Y
Number of days average trading price as base for minimum exercise price of stock option granted (in days)				5 days
Percentage of stock options that will vest on each of the first, second, third and fourth anniversaries from the date of grant							25.00%
Method and assumptions on valuation of stock options
Expected life / Contractual term (in years)				4.0	4.0	4.0									5.0	5.0	3.0
Expected Company share volatility (as a percent)				42.80%	37.10%	45.20%									43.20%	44.00%
Risk-free interest rate (as a percent)				1.40%	1.50%	1.60%									2.40%	3.10%
Expected dividend yield (as a percent)				0.00%	1.50%	14.60%
Stock option activity
Options outstanding at the beginning of the period (in shares)				12,203,000
Granted (in shares)				1,294,000
Equitable adjustment (in shares)				380,000
Exercised (in shares)				(2,898,000)
Expired or forfeited (in shares)				(499,000)
Options outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)				10,480,000	12,203,000
Options vested and exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)				4,484,000
Weighted-average exercise price
Options outstanding at the beginning of the period (in dollars per share)				$ 11.99
Granted (in dollars per share)				$ 47.83
Equitable adjustment (in dollars per share)				$ 11.00
Exercised (in dollars per share)				$ 13.91
Expired or forfeited (in dollars per share)				$ 19.82
Options outstanding at the end of the period (in dollars per share)				$ 15.10	$ 11.99
Options vested and exercisable at the end of the period (in dollars per share)				$ 7.42
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term (in years)
Options outstanding at the end of the period (in years)				6.0
Options vested and exercisable at the end of the period (in years)				5.4
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Options outstanding at the end of the period				335,744,000
Options vested and exercisable at the end of the period				176,061,000
Additional disclosures
Weighted-average grant date fair value of stock options (in dollars per share)				$ 13.65	$ 5.46	$ 0.92
Intrinsic value of stock options exercised in the period				31,700,000	28,500,000	200,000
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	$ 41,738,000	$ 58,425,000	$ 866,000	$ 41,700,000	$ 58,400,000	$ 900,000