Revenues (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($) segment	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Number of operating segments | segment			1
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 6,206	$ 5,871	$ 12,367	$ 11,428
Product sales [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	5,908	5,574	11,802	10,860
Product sales [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	4,428	4,142	8,707	8,133
Product sales [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,480	1,432	3,095	2,727
Enbrel® (etanercept) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,246	1,363	2,399	2,514
Enbrel® (etanercept) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,213	1,315	2,330	2,421
Enbrel® (etanercept) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	33	48	69	93
Prolia® (denosumab) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	659	698	1,313	1,290
Prolia® (denosumab) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	441	458	863	848
Prolia® (denosumab) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	218	240	450	442
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	593	824	1,202	1,845
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	520	719	1,054	1,612
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	73	105	148	233
Otezla (apremilast) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	561	0	1,040	0
Otezla (apremilast) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	464	0	841	0
Otezla (apremilast) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	97	0	199	0
XGEVA® (denosumab) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	435	499	916	970
XGEVA® (denosumab) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	318	379	673	735
XGEVA® (denosumab) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	117	120	243	235
Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	387	436	809	850
Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	156	192	331	374
Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	231	244	478	476
KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	253	267	533	512
KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	167	166	354	320
KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	86	101	179	192
Repatha (evolocumab) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	200	152	429	293
Repatha (evolocumab) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	115	91	239	174
Repatha (evolocumab) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	85	61	190	119
Other products [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,574	1,335	3,161	2,586
Other products [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,034	822	2,022	1,649
Other products [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	540	513	1,139	937
Other revenues [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 298	$ 297	$ 565	$ 568