Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net product revenues	$ 10,935	$ 18,843	$ 38,135	$ 80,542
Royalty revenues	5,936	18,756	21,694	62,094
Total net revenues	16,871	37,599	59,829	142,636
Operating expenses:
Cost of product revenues	9,601	20,777	39,436	54,804
Asset impairment charges	0	0	329,097	0
Research and development	45,838	23,537	117,337	94,595
Selling, general and administrative	47,198	69,022	159,980	242,478
Total operating expenses	102,637	113,336	645,850	391,877
Loss from operations	(85,766)	(75,737)	(586,021)	(249,241)
Co-promotion and license income	769	757	2,283	3,073
Gain on sale of assets	0	0	0	288,301
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0	0	(5,380)
Interest expense	(11,886)	(12,089)	(36,898)	(32,198)
Other income	71	865	916	741
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income taxes	(96,812)	(86,204)	(619,720)	5,296
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	66,637	(163)	89,607	(220)
Net (loss) income from continuing operations	(30,175)	(86,367)	(530,113)	5,076
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	96	0	(1,390)
Net (loss) income	(30,175)	(86,271)	(530,113)	3,686
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest	0	13	0	50
Net (loss) income attributable to The Medicines Company	(30,175)	(86,258)	(530,113)	3,736
Amounts attributable to The Medicines Company:
Net (loss) income from continuing operations	(30,175)	(86,354)	(530,113)	5,126
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	96	0	(1,390)
Net (loss) income attributable to The Medicines Company	$ (30,175)	$ (86,258)	$ (530,113)	$ 3,736
Basic (loss) earnings per common share attributable to The Medicines Company:
(Loss) earnings from continuing operations (USD per share)	$ (0.42)	$ (1.23)	$ (7.39)	$ 0.07
Loss from discontinued operations (USD per share)	0.00	0.00	0.00	(0.02)
Basic (loss) earnings per share (USD per share)	(0.42)	(1.23)	(7.39)	0.05
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share attributable to The Medicines Company:
(Loss) earnings from continuing operations (USD per share)	(0.42)	(1.23)	(7.39)	0.07
Loss from discontinued operations (USD per share)	0.00	0.00	0.00	(0.02)
Diluted (loss) earnings per share (USD per share)	$ (0.42)	$ (1.23)	$ (7.39)	$ 0.05
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic (shares)	72,286	70,194	71,763	69,711
Diluted (shares)	72,286	70,194	71,763	72,920