Revenues (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($) segment	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Number of operating segments | segment			1
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 5,737	$ 5,904	$ 17,165	$ 17,517
Product sales [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	5,463	5,510	16,323	16,532
Product sales [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	4,029	4,260	12,162	12,774
Product sales [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,434	1,250	4,161	3,758
Enbrel® (etanercept) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,366	1,292	3,880	3,699
Enbrel® (etanercept) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,323	1,242	3,744	3,544
Enbrel® (etanercept) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	43	50	136	155
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	711	1,051	2,556	3,306
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	619	897	2,231	2,854
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	92	154	325	452
Prolia® (denosumab) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	630	532	1,920	1,636
Prolia® (denosumab) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	425	354	1,273	1,070
Prolia® (denosumab) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	205	178	647	566
XGEVA® (denosumab) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	476	433	1,446	1,330
XGEVA® (denosumab) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	356	323	1,091	994
XGEVA® (denosumab) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	120	110	355	336
Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	452	477	1,302	1,403
Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	204	248	578	714
Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	248	229	724	689
KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	266	232	778	717
KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	163	142	483	430
KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	103	90	295	287
EPOGEN® (epoetin alfa) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	215	252	657	746
EPOGEN® (epoetin alfa) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	215	252	657	746
EPOGEN® (epoetin alfa) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	0	0	0	0
Sensipar® / Mimpara® (cinacalcet) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	109	409	444	1,326
Sensipar® / Mimpara® (cinacalcet) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	38	330	216	1,069
Sensipar® / Mimpara® (cinacalcet) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	71	79	228	257
Other products [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,238	832	3,340	2,369
Other products [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	686	472	1,889	1,353
Other products [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	552	360	1,451	1,016
Other revenues [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 274	$ 394	$ 842	$ 985