2.2.0.7 false Related Parties 0217 - Disclosure - Related Parties true false false false 1 USD false false USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 USDEPS Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 Shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 $ 2 Related Parties [Abstract] 0 vrx_RelatedPartiesAbstract vrx false na duration Related Parties. false false false false false true false false false false false false 1 false false false false 0 0 false false false xbrli:stringItemType string Related Parties. false 3 Related Parties 1 us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsDisclosureTextBlock us-gaap true na duration No definition available. false false false false false false false false false false false verboselabel false 1 false false false false 0 0   <div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; margin-left: 0%"> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 12pt"><b>17.</b>  <b>Related Parties</b> </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-indent: 4%">Robert A. Ingram was Vice Chairman Pharmaceuticals of GSK from January 2008 through December 2009, and serves as a strategic advisor to the Chief Executive Officer of GSK since January 2010. Mr. Ingram has been a member of our board of directors since 2003. In 2008, Mr. Ingram became our board’s lead director. Stephen F. Stefano was Senior Vice President of GSK’s Payor Markets Division from January 2001 through November 2009. Mr. Stefano has been a member of our board of directors since March 2009. See Note 4 for discussion of the Collaboration Agreement with GSK. </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-indent: 4%">Anders Lönner has been the Group President and Chief Executive Officer of Meda since 1999, and serves on Meda’s board of directors. Effective January 7, 2009, Mr. Lönner was elected by our board of directors to fill an open board position in the class expiring in 2011. See Notes 6 and 16 for discussion of transactions with Meda. </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-indent: 4%">G. Mason Morfit is a partner and a member of the Management Committee of ValueAct Capital. Mr. Morfit has been a member of our board of directors since 2007. Brandon B. Boze has been a Vice President at ValueAct Capital since 2005, and has been a member of our board of directors since December 2009. ValueAct Capital is the general partner and the manager of ValueAct Capital Master Fund, L.P. During the three months ended June 30, 2010, we purchased 2,637,545 shares of our common stock for a total of $106.6 million from ValueAct Capital Master Fund, L.P. </div> </div>  <!-- Begin Block Tagged Note false false false us-types:textBlockItemType textblock This element may be used for the entire related party transactions disclosure as a single block of text. Disclosure may include: the nature of the relationship(s), a description of the transactions, the amount of the transactions, the effects of any change in the method of establishing the terms of the transaction from the previous period, stated interest rate, expiration date, terms and manner of settlement per the agreement with the related party, and amounts due to or from related parties. If the entity and one or more other entities are under common ownership or management control and this control affects the operating results or financial position, disclosure includes the nature of the control relationship even if there are no transactions between the entities. Disclosure may also include the aggregate amount of current and deferred tax expense for each statement of earnings presented where the entity is a member of a group that files a consolidated tax return, the amount of any tax related balances due to or from affiliates as of the date of each statement of financial position presented, the principal provisions of the method by which the consolidated amount of current and deferred tax expense is allocated to the members of the group and the nature and effect of any changes in that method. Examples of related party transactions include transactions between (a) a parent company and its subsidiary; (b) subsidiaries of a common parent; (c) and entity and its principal owners; and (d) affiliates. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 04 -Paragraph b -Article 3A Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph k -Article 4 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 57 -Paragraph 1-4 false 1 2 false UnKnown UnKnown UnKnown false true