Amount available for borrowing under long term debt agreement.

No definition available.

Name:	dvax_AmountAvailableForBorrowingUnderLongTermDebtAgreement
Namespace Prefix:	dvax_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Debt instrument, covenant daily minimum combined cash and investment balance.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dvax_DebtInstrumentCovenantDailyMinimumCombinedCashAndInvestmentBalance
Namespace Prefix:	dvax_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of capital stock of subsidiaries subject to certain exception.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dvax_PercentageOfCapitalStockOfSubsidiariesSubjectToCertainException
Namespace Prefix:	dvax_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of repayment premium of principal amount prepaid.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dvax_PercentageOfRepaymentPremiumOfPrincipalAmountPrepaid
Namespace Prefix:	dvax_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Carrying amount of collateralized debt obligations, plus interest-in-kind, with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle, if longer, excluding the current portion.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dvax_SecuredLongTermDebtNoncurrentPlusInterestInKind
Namespace Prefix:	dvax_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Effective interest rate for the funds borrowed under the debt agreement considering interest compounding and original issue discount or premium.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109500613&loc=SL6036836-161870

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775744&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- 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

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date when the debt instrument is scheduled to be fully repaid, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (bbb)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99377789&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentMaturityDate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of the cost of borrowed funds accounted for as interest expense for debt.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash inflow from a debt initially having maturity due after one year or beyond the operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3255-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfLongTermDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Carrying amount of collateralized debt obligations with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle, if longer, excluding the current portion. Obligations include, but not limited to, mortgage loans, chattel loans, and other borrowings secured by assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SecuredLongTermDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=dvax_LoanAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_CounterpartyNameAxis=dvax_CRGServicingLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=dvax_InitialTermLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=dvax_SecondTrancheMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Long-Term Debt - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Feb. 20, 2018	Feb. 28, 2018	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 29, 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity		$ 175,000
Net proceeds from the initial term loan			$ 74,250	$ 99,000
Principal amount including interest paid in kind		$ 177,300	$ 177,300
Debt maturity date		Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2023
Loan Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of capital stock of subsidiaries subject to certain exception	65.00%
Debt instrument, covenant daily minimum combined cash and investment balance	$ 15,000
Interest expense related to initial term loan			$ 2,600	$ 1,100
Loan Agreement \| Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of repayment premium of principal amount prepaid	7.00%
CRG Servicing LLC
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 175,000
Current borrowing capacity	$ 100,000				$ 75,000
Debt interest rate	9.50%
Debt instrument interest rate, effective percentage			10.20%
Principal amount including interest paid in kind			$ 177,300
Debt maturity date	Dec. 31, 2023
CRG Servicing LLC \| Initial Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Net proceeds from the initial term loan	$ 99,000
CRG Servicing LLC \| Second Tranche
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Net proceeds from the initial term loan	$ 74,300