Commitments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011 Y	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011 2015 Notes	Sep. 30, 2010 2015 Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 Fan Pier Leases	Dec. 31, 2011 Fan Pier Leases	Dec. 31, 2010 Fan Pier Leases	Dec. 31, 2012 Kendall Square Lease Y squarefeet term_extension	Dec. 31, 2011 Kendall Square Lease	Dec. 31, 2010 Kendall Square Lease	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Operating Leases
Operating lease
Initial term of lease agreement (in years)	15
Optional term of lease agreement (in years)	10											10
Office space used for operation (in square feet)												120,000
Options to extend term												2
Future minimum commitments under facility leases commitments with terms of more than one year
2013		$ 136,312,000							$ 83,304,000			$ 18,338,000			$ 43,165,000
2014		112,424,000							67,206,000			18,338,000			35,375,000
2015		109,477,000							67,206,000			18,338,000			27,909,000
2016		95,460,000							67,206,000			18,338,000			9,916,000
2017		94,448,000							67,206,000			18,338,000			8,904,000
Thereafter		851,127,000							814,404,000			6,113,000			30,610,000
Total minimum lease payments		1,399,248,000							1,166,532,000			97,803,000			155,879,000
Future minimum sublease income
2013		(8,495,000)
2014		(8,495,000)
2015		(3,976,000)
2016		0
2017		0
Thereafter		0
Total minimum lease payments		(20,966,000)
Rental expense		57,100,000		49,400,000		46,600,000			6,600,000	3,900,000	0	11,600,000	11,200,000	11,600,000
Effective interest rate (percentage)		4.00%
Convertible senior subordinated notes (due 2015)		$ 400,000,000	[1]	$ 400,000,000	[1]		$ 400,000,000	$ 400,000,000

[1] Amounts include the assets and liabilities of Vertex’s variable interest entity (“VIE”), Alios BioPharma, Inc. (“Alios”). Vertex’s interests and obligations with respect to the VIE’s assets and liabilities are limited to those accorded to Vertex in its agreement with Alios. See Note B, "Collaborative Arrangements," to these consolidated financial statements for amounts.