Nature of Business	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of Business	Nature of Business The Medicines Company (the Company) is a biopharmaceutical company driven by its purpose to solve major medical, societal and economic challenges in healthcare. The Company has a singular and relentless focus on one of the greatest global healthcare challenge and burden - that presented by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), which remains the number one cause of death in the United States and worldwide. The Company takes on that challenge by developing inclisiran, the investigational RNA interference therapeutic, that specifically inhibits production of PCSK9, a key protein that controls LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. The Company believes inclisiran is uniquely suited to make a significant difference reducing risk in ASCVD. The Company has the right to develop, manufacture and commercialize inclisiran under its collaboration agreement with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Alnylam). In addition, the Company markets Angiomax® (bivalirudin) in the United States primarily through a supply and distribution agreement with Sandoz Inc. (Sandoz), under which the Company granted Sandoz the exclusive right to sell in the United States an authorized generic of Angiomax. On November 3, 2015, the Company announced that it was in the process of evaluating its operations with a goal of unlocking and maximizing stockholder value. In particular, the Company stated its intention was to explore strategies for optimizing the Company’s capital structure and liquidity position and to narrow the Company’s operational focus by strategically separating non-core businesses and products in order to generate non-dilutive cash and reduce associated cash burn and capital requirements. As a result of the Company’s decision to narrow its operational focus, the Company executed on several strategic transactions, including the 2016 divestitures of its hemostasis portfolio consisting of PreveLeak, Raplixa and Recothrom (the Hemostasis Business) to wholly owned subsidiaries of Mallinckrodt plc (Mallinckrodt) and its non-core cardiovascular assets consisting of Kengreal, Cleviprex and rights to Argatroban for Injection (the Non-Core ACC Products) to Chiesi USA, Inc. and its parent company Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. (Chiesi). In addition, on January 5, 2018, the Company completed the sale of its infectious disease business, consisting of the products Vabomere, Orbactiv and Minocin IV and line extensions thereof, and substantially all of the assets related thereto, other than certain pre-clinical assets, to Melinta Therapeutics, Inc. (Melinta) pursuant to a purchase and sale agreement dated November 28, 2017 between the Company and Melinta. At the completion of the sale, the Company received approximately $166.4 million and 3,313,702 shares of Melinta common stock having a market value, based on Melinta's closing share price on January 5, 2018, of approximately $54.5 million. In addition, the Company is entitled to receive (i) a cash payment payable 12 months following the closing of the transaction equal to $25.0 million; (ii) a cash payment payable 18 months following the closing of the transaction equal to $25.0 million; and (iii) tiered royalty payments of 5% to 25% on worldwide net sales of (a) Vabomere and (b) Orbactiv and Minocin IV, collectively. As a result of the transaction, the Company accounted for the assets and liabilities of the infectious disease business that were sold as held for sale at December 31, 2017. Further, the financial results of the infectious disease business were reclassified to discontinued operations for all periods presented in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements. See Note 15 “Discontinued Operations” for further details. As a result of these transactions and the Company’s restructuring plans, the Company is now focused on the development of inclisiran as a transformative treatment for ASCVD.

Nature of Business

The Medicines Company (the Company) is a biopharmaceutical company driven by its purpose to solve major medical, societal and economic challenges in healthcare. The Company has a singular and relentless focus on one of the greatest global healthcare challenge and burden - that presented by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), which remains the number one cause of death in the United States and worldwide. The Company takes on that challenge by developing inclisiran, the investigational RNA interference therapeutic, that specifically inhibits production of PCSK9, a key protein that controls LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. The Company believes inclisiran is uniquely suited to make a significant difference reducing risk in ASCVD. The Company has the right to develop, manufacture and commercialize inclisiran under its collaboration agreement with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Alnylam). In addition, the Company markets Angiomax® (bivalirudin) in the United States primarily through a supply and distribution agreement with Sandoz Inc. (Sandoz), under which the Company granted Sandoz the exclusive right to sell in the United States an authorized generic of Angiomax.

On November 3, 2015, the Company announced that it was in the process of evaluating its operations with a goal of unlocking and maximizing stockholder value. In particular, the Company stated its intention was to explore strategies for optimizing the Company’s capital structure and liquidity position and to narrow the Company’s operational focus by strategically separating non-core businesses and products in order to generate non-dilutive cash and reduce associated cash burn and capital requirements.

As a result of the Company’s decision to narrow its operational focus, the Company executed on several strategic transactions, including the 2016 divestitures of its hemostasis portfolio consisting of PreveLeak, Raplixa and Recothrom (the Hemostasis Business) to wholly owned subsidiaries of Mallinckrodt plc (Mallinckrodt) and its non-core cardiovascular assets consisting of Kengreal, Cleviprex and rights to Argatroban for Injection (the Non-Core ACC Products) to Chiesi USA, Inc. and its parent company Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. (Chiesi). In addition, on January 5, 2018, the Company completed the sale of its infectious disease business, consisting of the products Vabomere, Orbactiv and Minocin IV and line extensions thereof, and substantially all of the assets related thereto, other than certain pre-clinical assets, to Melinta Therapeutics, Inc. (Melinta) pursuant to a purchase and sale agreement dated November 28, 2017 between the Company and Melinta. At the completion of the sale, the Company received approximately $166.4 million and 3,313,702 shares of Melinta common stock having a market value, based on Melinta's closing share price on January 5, 2018, of approximately $54.5 million. In addition, the Company is entitled to receive (i) a cash payment payable 12 months following the closing of the transaction equal to $25.0 million; (ii) a cash payment payable 18 months following the closing of the transaction equal to $25.0 million; and (iii) tiered royalty payments of 5% to 25% on worldwide net sales of (a) Vabomere and (b) Orbactiv and Minocin IV, collectively. As a result of the transaction, the Company accounted for the assets and liabilities of the infectious disease business that were sold as held for sale at December 31, 2017. Further, the financial results of the infectious disease business were reclassified to discontinued operations for all periods presented in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements. See Note 15 “Discontinued Operations” for further details.

As a result of these transactions and the Company’s restructuring plans, the Company is now focused on the development of inclisiran as a transformative treatment for ASCVD.