Organization	12 Months Ended
Dec. 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 disorders 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. Our two medicines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) are Andexxa® [coagulation factor Xa (recombinant), inactivated-zhzo], the first and only antidote for patients treated with rivaroxaban and apixaban, when reversal of anticoagulation is needed due to life-threatening or uncontrolled bleeding, and Bevyxxa® (betrixaban), the first and only oral, once-daily Factor Xa inhibitor, for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (“VTE”) in adult patients hospitalized for an acute medical illness. We received approval for Andexxa and Bevyxxa in May 2018 and June 2017, respectively. On December 31, 2018, the FDA approved our Prior Approval Supplement (PAS) for our large-scale, second generation Andexxa® [coagulation factor Xa (recombinant), inactivated-zhzo], allowing for broad commercial launch in the United States. We have scaled back our commercial efforts for Bevyxxa to focus on the commercial launch of Andexxa. We are re-evaluating our marketing strategy for Bevyxxa and also exploring potential partnership and other strategic options for Bevyxxa. We are also advancing cerdulatinib, a dual spleen tyrosine kinase, or Syk, and Janus kinases, or JAK, inhibitor in development to treat hematologic cancers. We have a partnered program, which is focused on developing selective Syk inhibitors for inflammatory conditions.

Organization

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

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 disorders 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.

Our two medicines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) are Andexxa® [coagulation factor Xa (recombinant), inactivated-zhzo], the first and only antidote for patients treated with rivaroxaban and apixaban, when reversal of anticoagulation is needed due to life-threatening or uncontrolled bleeding, and Bevyxxa® (betrixaban), the first and only oral, once-daily Factor Xa inhibitor, for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (“VTE”) in adult patients hospitalized for an acute medical illness. We received approval for Andexxa and Bevyxxa in May 2018 and June 2017, respectively. On December 31, 2018, the FDA approved our Prior Approval Supplement (PAS) for our large-scale, second generation Andexxa® [coagulation factor Xa (recombinant), inactivated-zhzo], allowing for broad commercial launch in the United States. We have scaled back our commercial efforts for Bevyxxa to focus on the commercial launch of Andexxa. We are re-evaluating our marketing strategy for Bevyxxa and also exploring potential partnership and other strategic options for Bevyxxa. We are also advancing cerdulatinib, a dual spleen tyrosine kinase, or Syk, and Janus kinases, or JAK, inhibitor in development to treat hematologic cancers. We have a partnered program, which is focused on developing selective Syk inhibitors for inflammatory conditions.