COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Details) (USD $)		1 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011	Nov. 30, 2006 Original premises space for corporate headquarters	Aug. 31, 2011 Corporate Headquarters Lease, 3rd amendment terms options USDperSquarefoot
Lease Commitments
Period of lease (in months)		30 months	12M
Base monthly rent (in dollars per square foot)			1.82
Base monthly rent			$ 32,700
Number of options to extend lease term			1
Extended period of lease (in years)			1Y
Future minimum lease payments under operating leases
Remainder of 2011	174,000
2012	406,000
Total	$ 580,000

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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- Definition

The total of future contractually required payments on leases defined as operating.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 13

-Paragraph 122

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 13

-Paragraph 16

-Subparagraph b(i)

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 10

-Section 55

-Paragraph 40

-Subparagraph (Note 3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the base monthly rent per square foot under the operating lease.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	vvus
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the monthly payments that the lessee is obligated to make or can be required to make in connection with a property under the terms of an agreement classified as an operating lease, excluding contingent rentals and a guarantee by the lessee of the lessor's debt and the lessee's obligation to pay (apart from the rental payments) executory costs such as insurance, maintenance, and taxes.

+ Details

Name:	vvus_OperatingLeasesBaseRentExpenseMonthlyRentals
Namespace Prefix:	vvus
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the period for which lease could be extended after its expiration.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	vvus
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year, required rental payments due within the first succeeding fiscal year of the balance sheet date relating to leases defined as operating.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	vvus
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

For leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year, required rental payments due during the remainder of the current fiscal year relating to leases defined as operating.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	vvus
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of options to extend the term of the lease.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	vvus
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the period for the lease term in number of months or years.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration