Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net product revenues	$ 31,375	$ 110,115
Royalty revenues	18,931	0
Total net revenues	50,306	110,115
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenue	18,797	20,538
Research and development	33,491	23,283
Selling, general and administrative	79,298	80,785
Total operating expenses	131,586	124,606
Loss from operations	(81,280)	(14,491)
Co-promotion and license income	975	8,388
Gain on remeasurement of equity investment	0	22,741
Loss in equity investment	0	(144)
Interest expense	(9,746)	(8,615)
Other (loss) income	(262)	467
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income taxes	(90,313)	8,346
Provision for income taxes	(46)	(4,001)
Net (loss) income from continuing operations	(90,359)	4,345
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of tax	(2,105)	661
Net (loss) income	(92,464)	5,006
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest	16	28
Net (loss) income attributable to The Medicines Company	(92,448)	5,034
Amounts attributable to The Medicines Company:
Net (loss) income from continuing operations	(90,343)	4,373
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of tax	(2,105)	661
Net (loss) income attributable to The Medicines Company	$ (92,448)	$ 5,034
Basic (loss) earnings per common share attributable to The Medicines Company:
(Loss) earnings from continuing operations (USD per share)	$ (1.31)	$ 0.07
(Loss) earnings from discontinued operations (USD per share)	(0.03)	0.01
Basic (loss) earnings per share (USD per share)	(1.34)	0.08
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share attributable to The Medicines Company:
(Loss) earnings from continuing operations (USD per share)	(1.31)	0.07
(Loss) earnings from discontinued operations (USD per share)	(0.03)	0.01
Diluted (loss) earnings per share (USD per share)	$ (1.34)	$ 0.08
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic (shares)	69,210	65,174
Diluted (shares)	69,210	66,929