Revenues (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($) segment	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Number of operating segments | segment			1
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 6,423	$ 5,737	$ 18,790	$ 17,165
Product sales [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	6,104	5,463	17,906	16,323
Product sales [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	4,618	4,029	13,325	12,162
Product sales [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,486	1,434	4,581	4,161
Enbrel® (etanercept) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,325	1,366	3,724	3,880
Enbrel® (etanercept) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,289	1,323	3,619	3,744
Enbrel® (etanercept) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	36	43	105	136
Prolia® (denosumab) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	701	630	2,014	1,920
Prolia® (denosumab) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	478	425	1,341	1,273
Prolia® (denosumab) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	223	205	673	647
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	555	711	1,757	2,556
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	484	619	1,538	2,231
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	71	92	219	325
Otezla (apremilast) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	538	0	1,578	0
Otezla (apremilast) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	439	0	1,280	0
Otezla (apremilast) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	99	0	298	0
XGEVA® (denosumab) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	481	476	1,397	1,446
XGEVA® (denosumab) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	363	356	1,036	1,091
XGEVA® (denosumab) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	118	120	361	355
Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	384	452	1,193	1,302
Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	158	204	489	578
Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	226	248	704	724
KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	260	266	793	778
KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	173	163	527	483
KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	87	103	266	295
Repatha (evolocumab) [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	205	168	634	461
Repatha (evolocumab) [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	92	85	331	259
Repatha (evolocumab) [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	113	83	303	202
Other products [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,655	1,394	4,816	3,980
Other products [Member] | US [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	1,142	854	3,164	2,503
Other products [Member] | ROW [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total product sales	513	540	1,652	1,477
Other revenues [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 319	$ 274	$ 884	$ 842