Aggregate amount payable to acquire intangible assets.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	dvax_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Agreement termination period month and year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Collaborative arrangement additional milestone payment to be received on achievement of certain objectives.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of installments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Payment for regulatory milestones.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	credit
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- Definition

The aggregate expense charged against earnings to allocate the cost of intangible assets (nonphysical assets not used in production) in a systematic and rational manner to the periods expected to benefit from such assets. As a noncash expense, this element is added back to net income when calculating cash provided by or used in operations using the indirect method.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388964&loc=d3e16225-109274

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66006027&loc=d3e16323-109275

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

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.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount before accumulated amortization of intangible assets, excluding goodwill.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IntangibleAssetsGrossExcludingGoodwill
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The cash outflow to acquire asset without physical form usually arising from contractual or other legal rights, excluding goodwill.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3213-108585

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis=dvax_SublicenseAgreementMember
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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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Collaborative Research, Development and License Agreements - Additional Information (Detail)		1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2018 USD ($) Installment	Jan. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Merck, Sharp & Dohme Corp. \| Sublicense Agreement
Collaborative Arrangements And Noncollaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Aggregate amount payable to acquire intangible assets		$ 21,000,000
Number of installments \| Installment		3
Payment upon obligation		$ 7,000,000
Intangible assets		$ 19,800,000
Merck, Sharp & Dohme Corp. \| Sublicense Agreement \| Scenario, Forecast
Collaborative Arrangements And Noncollaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Payment upon obligation				$ 7,000,000	$ 7,000,000
Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Inc.
Collaborative Arrangements And Noncollaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Agreement termination date						2018-02
Amortization of intangible assets	$ 2,500,000
Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Inc. \| Intangible Assets
Collaborative Arrangements And Noncollaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Payment for regulatory milestones recorded as intangible asset			$ 2,500,000
Maximum
Collaborative Arrangements And Noncollaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Additional milestone payments eligible to be received based on achievement of certain development and regulatory objectives	$ 100,000,000					$ 100,000,000