Revenues (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($) segment	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Number of operating segments | segment	1
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 6,161	$ 5,557
Product sales [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	5,894	5,286
Product sales [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	4,279	3,991
Product sales [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,615	1,295
Enbrel® (etanercept) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,153	1,151
Enbrel® (etanercept) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,117	1,106
Enbrel® (etanercept) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	36	45
Prolia® (denosumab) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	654	592
Prolia® (denosumab) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	422	390
Prolia® (denosumab) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	232	202
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	609	1,021
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	534	893
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	75	128
XGEVA® (denosumab) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	481	471
XGEVA® (denosumab) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	355	356
XGEVA® (denosumab) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	126	115
Otezla (apremilast) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	479	0
Otezla (apremilast) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	377	0
Otezla (apremilast) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	102	0
Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	422	414
Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	175	182
Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	247	232
KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	280	245
KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	187	154
KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	93	91
Repatha (evolocumab) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	229	141
Repatha (evolocumab) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	124	83
Repatha (evolocumab) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	105	58
Other products [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,587	1,251
Other products [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	988	827
Other products [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	599	424
Other revenues [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 267	$ 271