Milestone Payments Made During Period.

No definition available.

Name:	biib_MilestonePaymentsMadeDuringPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	biib_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Potential future milestone payments commitment to third party approximately.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	biib_PotentialFutureMilestonePaymentsCommitmentToThirdPartyApproximately
Namespace Prefix:	biib_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in the value of a contingent consideration liability, including, but not limited to, differences arising upon settlement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e7008-128479

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsChangeInAmountOfContingentConsiderationLiability1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For contingent consideration arrangements recognized in connection with a business combination, this element represents an estimate of the high-end of the potential range (undiscounted) of the consideration which may be paid.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e6927-128479

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsRangeOfOutcomesValueHigh
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, that lack physical substance, having a projected indefinite period of benefit, acquired at the acquisition date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73530397&loc=d3e4845-128472

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedIndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Interest rate used to find the present value of an amount to be paid or received in the future as an input to measure fair value. For example, but not limited to, weighted average cost of capital (WACC), cost of capital, cost of equity and cost of debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (bbb)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66048111&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueInputsDiscountRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of purchases of financial instrument classified as a liability measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66048111&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisLiabilityPurchases
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of business during the period. The cash portion only of the acquisition price.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Investing Activities
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6516133

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3213-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=biib_ConvergencePharmaceuticalsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=biib_BIIB074Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=biib_NeuropathicpainindicationsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Acquisitions (Details Textual) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Acquisitions (Details Textual) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Feb. 28, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Feb. 12, 2015
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Potential future milestone payments		$ 3,100.0	$ 3,100.0
Contingent consideration obligation			0.0	$ 274.5
Maximum contingent consideration in the form of development and approval milestones		1,200.0	$ 1,200.0
Convergence Pharmaceuticals
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash portion of consideration	$ 200.1
Potential future milestone payments					$ 450.0
Contingent consideration obligation	274.5
Increase in contingent consideration liability	$ 36.0
Discount rate	2.00%		2.70%
Maximum contingent consideration in the form of development and approval milestones		400.0	$ 400.0
In-process research and development					424.6
Milestone payment made during period		$ 50.0
BIIB074 \| Convergence Pharmaceuticals
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Potential future milestone payments					350.0
Discount rate	11.00%
Maximum contingent consideration in the form of development and approval milestones					145.0
In-process research and development					200.0
Neuropathic pain indications \| Convergence Pharmaceuticals
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Maximum contingent consideration in the form of development and approval milestones					415.0
In-process research and development					$ 220.0