Organization	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization	1. Organization Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.^® (the “Company” or “we” or “our” or “us”) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics in the areas of thrombosis, other hematologic diseases and inflammation for patients who currently have limited or no approved treatment options. We were incorporated in September 2003 in Delaware. Our headquarters and operations are located in South San Francisco, California and we operate in one segment. We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics in the areas of thrombosis, other hematologic disorders and inflammation for patients who currently have limited or no approved treatment options. Our two U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”)-approved medicines are Bevyxxa® (betrixaban), the first and only oral, once-daily Factor Xa inhibitor, and Andexxa® [coagulation factor Xa (recombinant), inactivated-zhzo], the first and only antidote for the Factor Xa inhibitors rivaroxaban and apixaban. We received approval for Bevyxxa and Andexxa in June 2017 and May 2018, respectively. We are also advancing cerdulatinib, a spleen tyrosine kinase, or Syk, and Janus kinases, or JAK, inhibitor in development to treat hematologic cancers and have a partnered program, which is focused on developing selective Syk inhibitors for inflammatory conditions. We refer to our two approved drugs in this report as Andexxa and Bevyxxa. If approved in the EU or other parts of the world we expect each drug may be marketed under different brand names. In addition, an international nonproprietary name (“INN”) has been designated for each drug. Our previous INN for Andexxa was andexanet alfa; however, in the United States this INN has been replaced with “coagulation factor Xa (recombinant), inactivated-zhzo.” For the EU and other parts of the world, andexanet alfa could remain the INN for Andexxa. Our use of Andexxa or Bevyxxa in this document in the context of continued development activities for which we have not yet received regulatory approval should not be read to imply that we have received regulatory approval for any indication or in any jurisdiction not reflected in our product labels.

1. Organization

Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.^® (the “Company” or “we” or “our” or “us”) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics in the areas of thrombosis, other hematologic diseases and inflammation for patients who currently have limited or no approved treatment options. We were incorporated in September 2003 in Delaware. Our headquarters and operations are located in South San Francisco, California and we operate in one segment.

We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics in the areas of thrombosis, other hematologic disorders and inflammation for patients who currently have limited or no approved treatment options. Our two U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”)-approved medicines are Bevyxxa® (betrixaban), the first and only oral, once-daily Factor Xa inhibitor, and Andexxa® [coagulation factor Xa (recombinant), inactivated-zhzo], the first and only antidote for the Factor Xa inhibitors rivaroxaban and apixaban. We received approval for Bevyxxa and Andexxa in June 2017 and May 2018, respectively. We are also advancing cerdulatinib, a spleen tyrosine kinase, or Syk, and Janus kinases, or JAK, inhibitor in development to treat hematologic cancers and have a partnered program, which is focused on developing selective Syk inhibitors for inflammatory conditions.

We refer to our two approved drugs in this report as Andexxa and Bevyxxa. If approved in the EU or other parts of the world we expect each drug may be marketed under different brand names. In addition, an international nonproprietary name (“INN”) has been designated for each drug. Our previous INN for Andexxa was andexanet alfa; however, in the United States this INN has been replaced with “coagulation factor Xa (recombinant), inactivated-zhzo.” For the EU and other parts of the world, andexanet alfa could remain the INN for Andexxa. Our use of Andexxa or Bevyxxa in this document in the context of continued development activities for which we have not yet received regulatory approval should not be read to imply that we have received regulatory approval for any indication or in any jurisdiction not reflected in our product labels.