Collaborative and Other Relationships	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Collaborative and Other Relationships	Collaborative and Other Relationships Samsung Biosimilar Agreement In February 2012, we finalized an agreement with Samsung BioLogics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Biologics) that established an entity, Samsung Bioepis, to develop, manufacture and market biosimilar pharmaceuticals. Under the terms of the agreement, Samsung Biologics will contribute 280.5 billion South Korean won (approximately $250.0 million) for an 85 percent stake in Samsung Bioepis and we will contribute approximately 49.5 billion South Korean won (approximately $45.0 million) for the remaining 15 percent ownership interest. Our investment will be limited to this contribution as we have no obligation to provide any additional funding; however, we maintain an option to purchase additional stock in Samsung Bioepis in order to increase our ownership percentage up to 49.9 percent. The exercise of this option is within our control. Samsung Biologics has the power to direct the activities of Samsung Bioepis which will most significantly and directly impact its economic performance. We account for this investment under the equity method of accounting as we maintain the ability to exercise significant influence over Samsung Bioepis through a presence on the entity’s Board of Directors and our contractual relationship. Under the equity method, we record our original investment at cost and subsequently adjust the carrying value of our investments for our share of equity in the entity’s income or losses according to our percentage of ownership. If losses accumulate, we will record our share of losses until our investment has been fully depleted. Once our investment has been fully depleted, we will recognize additional losses only if we provide or are required to provide additional funding. As of September 30, 2012, our cash contributions to Samsung Bioepis totaled 36.0 billion South Korean won (approximately $32.1 million). As of September 30, 2012, the carrying value of our investment in Samsung Bioepis totaled 32.6 billion South Korean won (approximately $29.5 million), which is classified as a component of investments and other assets within our condensed consolidated balance sheets. We are obligated to fund an additional 13.5 billion South Korean won (approximately $12.2 million) of which 7.1 billion South Korean won (approximately $6.4 million) is due within the next year. We recognize our share of the results of operations related to our investment in Samsung Bioepis one quarter in arrears when the results of the entity become available, which will be reflected as equity in earnings (loss) of investee, net of tax within our condensed consolidated statements of income. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, we recognized a loss on our investment of $1.3 million and $1.8 million, respectively. Simultaneous with formation of Samsung Bioepis, we entered into a license agreement and technical development and manufacturing services agreements with Samsung Bioepis. Under the terms of the license agreement, we granted Samsung Bioepis an exclusive license to use, develop, manufacture, and commercialize products created by Samsung Bioepis using Biogen Idec product-specific technology. In exchange, we will receive royalties on all products developed and commercialized by Samsung Bioepis. Under the terms of the technical development agreement, we will provide Samsung Bioepis technical development services and technology transfer services, which include, but are not limited to, cell culture development, purification process development, formulation development, and analytical development. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, we recognized $4.3 million and $9.9 million, respectively, in revenues in relation to these services, which is reflected as a component of other revenues within our condensed consolidated statement of income. Under the terms of our manufacturing agreement we will manufacture certain clinical drug substance, clinical drug product, commercial drug substance and commercial drug product pursuant to contractual terms. No amounts have been earned to date by us under the manufacturing agreement. Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Myotonic Dystrophy-1 and Spinal Muscular Atrophy) In June and January 2012, we entered into separate exclusive, worldwide option and collaboration agreements with Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Isis) under which both companies will develop and commercialize Isis’ product candidates for the treatment of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), respectively. Under the terms of the June agreement for the DM1 candidate, we provided Isis with an upfront payment of $12.0 million and will make potential additional payments, prior to licensing, of up to $59.0 million based on the development of the selected product candidate. Isis will be responsible for global development of any product candidate through the completion of a Phase 2 trial and we will provide advice on the clinical trial design and regulatory strategy. We also have an option to license the product candidate until completion of the Phase 2 trial. If we exercise our option, we will pay Isis up to a $70.0 million license fee and assume global development, regulatory and commercialization responsibilities. Isis could receive up to another $130.0 million in milestone payments upon the achievement of certain regulatory milestones as well as royalties on future sales if we successfully develop the product candidate after option exercise. Under the terms of the January agreement for the antisense investigation drug, ISIS-SMNRx, we paid Isis $29.0 million as an upfront payment and agreed to pay up to $45.0 million in milestones related to the clinical development of ISIS-SMNRx of which $18.0 million will become payable upon initiation of the first Phase 2/3 study of ISIS-SMNRx. Isis will be responsible for global development of ISIS-SMNRx through the completion of Phase 2/3 trials and we will provide advice on the clinical trial design and regulatory strategy. We also have an option to license ISIS-SMNRx until completion of the first successful Phase 2/3 trial. If we exercise our option, we will pay Isis a $75.0 million license fee and assume global development, regulatory and commercialization responsibilities. Isis could receive up to another $150.0 million in milestone payments upon the achievement of certain regulatory milestones as well as royalties on future sales of ISIS-SMNRx if we successfully develop ISIS-SMNRx after option exercise. Under these agreements we recognized $0.3 million and $41.3 million as research and development expenses within our condensed consolidated statement of income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively. For additional information related to our other significant collaboration arrangements, please read Note 20, Collaborations to our consolidated financial statements included within our 2011 Form 10-K

Collaborative and Other Relationships

Samsung Biosimilar Agreement

In February 2012, we finalized an agreement with Samsung BioLogics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Biologics) that established an entity, Samsung Bioepis, to develop, manufacture and market biosimilar pharmaceuticals. Under the terms of the agreement, Samsung Biologics will contribute 280.5 billion South Korean won (approximately $250.0 million) for an 85 percent stake in Samsung Bioepis and we will contribute approximately 49.5 billion South Korean won (approximately $45.0 million) for the remaining 15 percent ownership interest. Our investment will be limited to this contribution as we have no obligation to provide any additional funding; however, we maintain an option to purchase additional stock in Samsung Bioepis in order to increase our ownership percentage up to 49.9 percent. The exercise of this option is within our control.

Samsung Biologics has the power to direct the activities of Samsung Bioepis which will most significantly and directly impact its economic performance. We account for this investment under the equity method of accounting as we maintain the ability to exercise significant influence over Samsung Bioepis through a presence on the entity’s Board of Directors and our contractual relationship. Under the equity method, we record our original investment at cost and subsequently adjust the carrying value of our investments for our share of equity in the entity’s income or losses according to our percentage of ownership. If losses accumulate, we will record our share of losses until our investment has been fully depleted. Once our investment has been fully depleted, we will recognize additional losses only if we provide or are required to provide additional funding. As of September 30, 2012, our cash contributions to Samsung Bioepis totaled 36.0 billion South Korean won (approximately $32.1 million). As of September 30, 2012, the carrying value of our investment in Samsung Bioepis totaled 32.6 billion South Korean won (approximately $29.5 million), which is classified as a component of investments and other assets within our condensed consolidated balance sheets. We are obligated to fund an additional 13.5 billion South Korean won (approximately $12.2 million) of which 7.1 billion South Korean won (approximately $6.4 million) is due within the next year. We recognize our share of the results of operations related to our investment in Samsung Bioepis one quarter in arrears when the results of the entity become available, which will be reflected as equity in earnings (loss) of investee, net of tax within our condensed consolidated statements of income. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, we recognized a loss on our investment of $1.3 million and $1.8 million, respectively.

Simultaneous with formation of Samsung Bioepis, we entered into a license agreement and technical development and manufacturing services agreements with Samsung Bioepis. Under the terms of the license agreement, we granted Samsung Bioepis an exclusive license to use, develop, manufacture, and commercialize products created by Samsung Bioepis using Biogen Idec product-specific technology. In exchange, we will receive royalties on all products developed and commercialized by Samsung Bioepis. Under the terms of the technical development agreement, we will provide Samsung Bioepis technical development services and technology transfer services, which include, but are not limited to, cell culture development, purification process development, formulation development, and analytical development. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, we recognized $4.3 million and $9.9 million, respectively, in revenues in relation to these services, which is reflected as a component of other revenues within our condensed consolidated statement of income. Under the terms of our manufacturing agreement we will manufacture certain clinical drug substance, clinical drug product, commercial drug substance and commercial drug product pursuant to contractual terms. No amounts have been earned to date by us under the manufacturing agreement.

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Myotonic Dystrophy-1 and Spinal Muscular Atrophy)

In June and January 2012, we entered into separate exclusive, worldwide option and collaboration agreements with Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Isis) under which both companies will develop and commercialize Isis’ product candidates for the treatment of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), respectively.

Under the terms of the June agreement for the DM1 candidate, we provided Isis with an upfront payment of $12.0 million and will make potential additional payments, prior to licensing, of up to $59.0 million based on the development of the selected product candidate. Isis will be responsible for global development of any product candidate through the completion of a Phase 2 trial and we will provide advice on the clinical trial design and regulatory strategy. We also have an option to license the product candidate until completion of the Phase 2 trial. If we exercise our option, we will pay Isis up to a $70.0 million license fee and assume global development, regulatory and commercialization responsibilities. Isis could receive up to another $130.0 million in milestone payments upon the achievement of certain regulatory milestones as well as royalties on future sales if we successfully develop the product candidate after option exercise.

Under the terms of the January agreement for the antisense investigation drug, ISIS-SMNRx, we paid Isis $29.0 million as an upfront payment and agreed to pay up to $45.0 million in milestones related to the clinical development of ISIS-SMNRx of which $18.0 million will become payable upon initiation of the first Phase 2/3 study of ISIS-SMNRx. Isis will be responsible for global development of ISIS-SMNRx through the completion of Phase 2/3 trials and we will provide advice on the clinical trial design and regulatory strategy. We also have an option to license ISIS-SMNRx until completion of the first successful Phase 2/3 trial. If we exercise our option, we will pay Isis a $75.0 million license fee and assume global development, regulatory and commercialization responsibilities. Isis could receive up to another $150.0 million in milestone payments upon the achievement of certain regulatory milestones as well as royalties on future sales of ISIS-SMNRx if we successfully develop ISIS-SMNRx after option exercise.

Under these agreements we recognized $0.3 million and $41.3 million as research and development expenses within our condensed consolidated statement of income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively.

For additional information related to our other significant collaboration arrangements, please read Note 20, Collaborations to our consolidated financial statements included within our 2011 Form 10-K