Litigation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Loss Contingency, Information about Litigation Matters [Abstract]
Litigation	We are currently involved in various claims and legal proceedings, including the matters described below. For information as to our accounting policies relating to claims and legal proceedings, including use of estimates and contingencies, please read Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to our consolidated financial statements included in our 2019 Form 10-K. With respect to some loss contingencies, an estimate of the possible loss or range of loss cannot be made until management has further information, including, for example, (i) which claims, if any, will survive dispositive motion practice; (ii) information to be obtained through discovery; (iii) information as to the parties' damages claims and supporting evidence; (iv) the parties’ legal theories; and (v) the parties' settlement positions. The claims and legal proceedings in which we are involved also include challenges to the scope, validity or enforceability of the patents relating to our products, pipeline or processes and challenges to the scope, validity or enforceability of the patents held by others. These include claims by third parties that we infringe their patents. An adverse outcome in any of these proceedings could result in one or more of the following and have a material impact on our business or consolidated results of operations and financial position: (i) loss of patent protection; (ii) inability to continue to engage in certain activities; and (iii) payment of significant damages, royalties, penalties and/or license fees to third parties. Loss Contingencies IMRALDI Patent Litigation In September 2018 Fresenius Kabi Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Kabi) commenced proceedings for damages and injunctive relief against Biogen France SAS in the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris, alleging that IMRALDI, the adalimumab biosimilar product of Samsung Bioepis UK Limited that Biogen has commercialized in Europe, infringes the French counterpart of European Patent No. 3 148 510 (the '510 Patent), which was issued in June 2018 and expires in May 2035. No hearing has been scheduled. In October 2018 Fresenius Kabi commenced preliminary injunction proceedings against Biogen (Denmark) Manufacturing ApS and Biogen Denmark A/S in Denmark's Maritime and Commercial High Court alleging infringement of Danish Utility Models. In June 2019 the Danish court denied Fresenius Kabi's request for a preliminary injunction. Fresenius Kabi has appealed that decision and a hearing has been set for January 2021. In July 2020 the Danish Patent Board of Appeal revoked the Utility Models that were the subject of Fresenius Kabi’s October 2018 request for a preliminary injunction and Fresenius Kabi has appealed those revocations. In June 2020 Fresenius Kabi commenced preliminary injunction proceedings against Biogen (Denmark) Manufacturing ApS and Biogen (Denmark) A/S in Denmark’s Maritime and Commercial High Court alleging infringement of another Danish Utility Model. A hearing has been scheduled for May 2021. In November 2018 Fresenius Kabi commenced infringement proceedings for damages and injunctive relief against Biogen Italia S.R.L. in the District Court of Milan relating to the Italian counterpart of the ‘510 Patent, and against Biogen GmbH in the Düsseldorf Regional Court relating to the German counterpart of the ‘510 Patent. In Italy, Fresenius Kabi has surrendered the Italian counterpart of the ‘510 Patent and the court dismissed its infringement action in October 2020. A hearing in the proceeding in Germany has been set for August 2021. In July 2019 Gedeon Richter PLC (Gedeon Richter) commenced proceedings against Biogen GmbH in the Düsseldorf Regional Court alleging infringement of the German counterpart of European Patent No. 3 212 667 (the '667 Patent), which was issued in September 2018 and expires in October 2035, and seeking damages and injunctive relief. The November 2020 hearing has been postponed and a new hearing date has not been set. In August 2019 Biogen B.V. (Netherlands) and Samsung Bioepis UK Limited filed an action in the District Court of the Hague, Netherlands to revoke the Dutch counterpart of the '667 Patent. Gedeon Richter filed a separate action for infringement in the same court. A hearing was held in May 2020 and in July 2020 the court revoked the Dutch counterpart of the '667 Patent. An estimate of the possible loss or range of loss in the pending IMRALDI patent litigation described above cannot be made at this time. Qui Tam Litigation In July 2015 a qui tam action filed by Michael Bawduniak on behalf of the U.S. and certain states was unsealed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The action alleges sales and promotional activities in violation of the federal False Claims Act and state law counterparts and seeks single and treble damages, civil penalties, interest, attorneys’ fees and costs. No trial date has been set. The U.S. has not made an intervention decision. An estimate of the possible loss or range of loss cannot be made at this time. Dispute with Former Convergence Shareholders In November and December 2019 Shareholder Representative Services LLC, on behalf of the former shareholders of Convergence, sent us correspondence asserting claims of $200.0 million for alleged breach of the contract under which we acquired Convergence. We dispute the claims. Dispute with Jacobs Switzerland GmbH Jacobs Switzerland GmbH, the general contractor for the construction of our large-scale biologics manufacturing facility in Solothurn, Switzerland, claims approximately 31.0 million Swiss Francs (approximately $33.0 million) relating to construction costs. We dispute the claim. Other Matters Petition for Inter Partes Review In July 2018 Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Mylan) filed a petition that was granted by the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) for inter partes review of our U.S. Patent No. 8,399,514 (the '514 Patent). The '514 Patent includes claims covering treatment of MS with 480 mg of dimethyl fumarate per day as provided for in our TECFIDERA label. In February 2020 the PTAB issued a final written decision upholding the patentability of the ‘514 Patent and in April 2020 Mylan filed an appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (the Federal Circuit), which is pending. Oral argument has been scheduled for December 8, 2020. Hatch-Waxman Act Litigation relating to TECFIDERA Orange-Book Listed Patents In 2017, 2018 and 2019 we filed patent infringement proceedings relating to TECFIDERA Orange-Book listed patents pursuant to the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, commonly known as the Hatch-Waxman Act (the Delaware Actions), against Accord Healthcare Inc., Alkem Laboratories Ltd., Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Aurobindo Pharma U.S.A., Inc., Cipla Limited, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Graviti Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., Hetero USA, Inc., Lupin Atlantis Holdings SA, Macleods Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., MSN Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Pharmathen S.A., Prinston Pharmaceutical Inc., Sandoz Inc., Sawai USA, Inc., Shilpa Medicare Limited, Slayback Pharma LLC, Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd., TWi Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Windlas Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. and Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc. (the Delaware Defendants) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (the Delaware Court) and against Mylan in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia (the West Virginia Court). The litigation against Aurobindo Pharma U.S.A., Inc., Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Sawai USA, Inc. was dismissed in the fourth quarter of 2019. On June 22, 2020, the West Virginia Court entered judgment for Mylan that the asserted claims of the ‘514 Patent are invalid for lack of written description. We appealed the judgment to the Federal Circuit and the appeal is pending. Oral argument has been scheduled for December 8, 2020. On September 22, 2020, the Delaware Court entered judgment for the Delaware Defendants on the grounds that the judgment of the West Virginia Court applies to the Delaware Actions under principles of collateral estoppel. We have appealed the judgment and the appeal is pending. Multiple generic versions of TECFIDERA have entered the U.S. market prior to resolution of the appeals. On August 31, 2020, we filed a patent infringement action under the Hatch-Waxman Act against Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. and Sun Pharma Global SZE in the Delaware Court. No trial has been scheduled in this action. European Patent Office Oppositions In 2016 the European Patent Office (EPO) revoked our European Patent No. 2 137 537, which covers the treatment of MS with 480 mg of dimethyl fumarate as provided for in our TECFIDERA label. We have appealed to the Technical Boards of Appeal of the EPO and a hearing has been set for January 2021. In March 2018 the EPO revoked Forward Pharma A/S' (Forward Pharma) European Patent No. 2 801 355, which expires in October 2025. Forward Pharma has filed an appeal to the Technical Boards of Appeal of the EPO and a hearing has been set for February 2021. TYSABRI Patent Revocation Matters In November 2017 Bioeq GMBH, affiliated with the Polpharma Group, brought an action in the Polish Patent Office seeking to revoke Polish Patent No. 215263 (the Polish '263 Patent), which corresponds to our European Patent No. 1 485 127 (the E.U. '127 Patent) and covers administration of natalizumab (TYSABRI) to treat MS. The Polish '263 Patent expires in February 2023. No hearing has been set in this matter. Swiss Pharma International AG, also affiliated with the Polpharma Group, filed actions in the District Court of the Hague, Netherlands (January 2016), the German Patents Court (March 2016) and the Commercial Court of Rome (November 2017) seeking to invalidate the Dutch, German and Italian counterparts, respectively, of the E.U. '127 Patent, which also cover administration of natalizumab (TYSABRI) to treat MS and expire in February 2023. The Dutch and German counterparts were ruled invalid. The decision in the Dutch action was affirmed on appeal and the German appeal has been withdrawn. No hearing has been set in the Italian action. '755 Patent Litigation In May 2010 Biogen MA Inc. (formerly Biogen Idec MA Inc.) filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey alleging infringement by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Bayer) (manufacturer, marketer and seller of BETASERON and manufacturer of EXTAVIA), EMD Serono, Inc. (EMD Serono) (manufacturer, marketer and seller of REBIF), Pfizer (co-marketer of REBIF) and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Novartis) (marketer and seller of EXTAVIA) of our U.S. Patent No. 7,588,755 (the '755 Patent), which claims, among other things, the use of interferon beta for immunomodulation. The complaint seeks monetary damages, including lost profits and royalties. Bayer, Pfizer, Novartis and EMD Serono all filed counterclaims seeking declaratory judgments of patent invalidity and non-infringement and seeking monetary relief in the form of costs and attorneys' fees. Bayer had previously filed a complaint against us in the same court, on May 27, 2010, seeking a declaratory judgment that it does not infringe the '755 Patent and that the '755 Patent is invalid, and seeking monetary relief in the form of attorneys' fees, costs and expenses. Bayer has also requested ex parte reexamination by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office of Claim 1 of the ‘755 Patent, which request was granted in January 2020 and is pending. In September 2020 the Federal Circuit reversed the trial court's judgment against EMD Serono and Pfizer that the '755 patent is valid. We intend to file a petition for panel rehearing and rehearing en banc. Annulment Proceeding in General Court of the European Union relating to TECFIDERA In October 2018 Pharmaceutical Works Polpharma SA (Polpharma) filed an application in the General Court of the European Union seeking to annul a decision of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in which the EMA refused to validate Polpharma’s application to market a generic version of TECFIDERA on the grounds that TECFIDERA benefits from regulatory data protection (RDP). Polpharma disputes that TECFIDERA benefits from RDP. Biogen and the European Commission were granted leave to intervene in the case in support of the EMA and the case is pending. A hearing was held on July 13, 2020, and we are awaiting a decision. Government Matters We have learned that state and U.S. governmental authorities are investigating our sales and promotional practices and have received related subpoenas. We are cooperating with the investigation. We have received subpoenas and other requests from the U.S. government for documents and information relating to our relationship with non-profit organizations that assist patients taking drugs sold by Biogen and the government has challenged some of our contributions to these organizations. We have reached an agreement in principle with the government to resolve this matter. We have accrued the amount of our best estimate of the minimum probable loss in this matter. Product Liability and Other Legal Proceedings We are also involved in product liability claims and other legal proceedings generally incidental to our normal business activities. While the outcome of any of these proceedings cannot be accurately predicted, we do not believe the ultimate resolution of any of these existing matters would have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition.

With respect to some loss contingencies, an estimate of the possible loss or range of loss cannot be made until management has further information, including, for example, (i) which claims, if any, will survive dispositive motion practice; (ii) information to be obtained through discovery; (iii) information as to the parties' damages claims and supporting evidence; (iv) the parties’ legal theories; and (v) the parties' settlement positions.

The claims and legal proceedings in which we are involved also include challenges to the scope, validity or enforceability of the patents relating to our products, pipeline or processes and challenges to the scope, validity or enforceability of the patents held by others. These include claims by third parties that we infringe their patents. An adverse outcome in any of these proceedings could result in one or more of the following and have a material impact on our business or consolidated results of operations and financial position: (i) loss of patent protection; (ii) inability to continue to engage in certain activities; and (iii) payment of significant damages, royalties, penalties and/or license fees to third parties.

In September 2018 Fresenius Kabi Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Kabi) commenced proceedings for damages and injunctive relief against Biogen France SAS in the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris, alleging that IMRALDI, the adalimumab biosimilar product of Samsung Bioepis UK Limited that Biogen has commercialized in Europe, infringes the French counterpart of European Patent No. 3 148 510 (the '510 Patent), which was issued in June 2018 and expires in May 2035. No hearing has been scheduled.

In October 2018 Fresenius Kabi commenced preliminary injunction proceedings against Biogen (Denmark) Manufacturing ApS and Biogen Denmark A/S in Denmark's Maritime and Commercial High Court alleging infringement of Danish Utility Models. In June 2019 the Danish court denied Fresenius Kabi's request for a preliminary injunction. Fresenius Kabi has appealed that decision and a hearing has been set for January 2021. In July 2020 the Danish Patent Board of Appeal revoked the Utility Models that were the subject of Fresenius Kabi’s October 2018 request for a preliminary injunction and Fresenius Kabi has appealed those revocations.

In June 2020 Fresenius Kabi commenced preliminary injunction proceedings against Biogen (Denmark) Manufacturing ApS and Biogen (Denmark) A/S in Denmark’s Maritime and Commercial High Court alleging infringement of another Danish Utility Model. A hearing has been scheduled for May 2021.

In November 2018 Fresenius Kabi commenced infringement proceedings for damages and injunctive relief against Biogen Italia S.R.L. in the District Court of Milan relating to the Italian counterpart of the ‘510 Patent, and against Biogen GmbH in the Düsseldorf Regional Court relating to the German counterpart of the ‘510 Patent. In Italy, Fresenius Kabi has surrendered the Italian counterpart of the ‘510 Patent and the court dismissed its infringement action in October 2020. A hearing in the proceeding in Germany has been set for August 2021.

In July 2019 Gedeon Richter PLC (Gedeon Richter) commenced proceedings against Biogen GmbH in the Düsseldorf Regional Court alleging infringement of the German counterpart of European Patent No. 3 212 667 (the '667 Patent), which was issued in September 2018 and expires in October 2035, and seeking damages and injunctive relief. The November 2020 hearing has been postponed and a new hearing date has not been set.

In August 2019 Biogen B.V. (Netherlands) and Samsung Bioepis UK Limited filed an action in the District Court of the Hague, Netherlands to revoke the Dutch counterpart of the '667 Patent. Gedeon Richter filed a separate action for infringement in the same court. A hearing was held in May 2020 and in July 2020 the court revoked the Dutch counterpart of the '667 Patent.

In July 2015 a qui tam action filed by Michael Bawduniak on behalf of the U.S. and certain states was unsealed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The action alleges sales and promotional activities in violation of the federal False Claims Act and state law counterparts and seeks single and treble damages, civil penalties, interest, attorneys’ fees and costs. No trial date has been set. The U.S. has not made an intervention decision. An estimate of the possible loss or range of loss cannot be made at this time.

In November and December 2019 Shareholder Representative Services LLC, on behalf of the former shareholders of Convergence, sent us correspondence asserting claims of $200.0 million for alleged breach of the contract under which we acquired Convergence. We dispute the claims.

Jacobs Switzerland GmbH, the general contractor for the construction of our large-scale biologics manufacturing facility in Solothurn, Switzerland, claims approximately 31.0 million Swiss Francs (approximately $33.0 million) relating to construction costs. We dispute the claim.

In July 2018 Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Mylan) filed a petition that was granted by the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) for inter partes review of our U.S. Patent No. 8,399,514 (the '514 Patent). The '514 Patent includes claims covering treatment of MS with 480 mg of dimethyl fumarate per day as provided for in our TECFIDERA label. In February 2020 the PTAB issued a final written decision upholding the patentability of the ‘514 Patent and in April 2020 Mylan filed an appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (the Federal Circuit), which is pending. Oral argument has been scheduled for December 8, 2020.

In 2017, 2018 and 2019 we filed patent infringement proceedings relating to TECFIDERA Orange-Book listed patents pursuant to the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, commonly known as the Hatch-Waxman Act (the Delaware Actions), against Accord Healthcare Inc., Alkem Laboratories Ltd., Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Aurobindo Pharma U.S.A., Inc., Cipla Limited, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Graviti Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., Hetero USA, Inc., Lupin Atlantis Holdings SA, Macleods Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., MSN Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Pharmathen S.A., Prinston Pharmaceutical Inc., Sandoz Inc., Sawai USA, Inc., Shilpa Medicare Limited, Slayback Pharma LLC, Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd., TWi Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Windlas Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. and Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc. (the Delaware Defendants) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (the Delaware Court) and against Mylan in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia (the West Virginia Court). The litigation against Aurobindo Pharma U.S.A., Inc., Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Sawai USA, Inc. was dismissed in the fourth quarter of 2019.

On June 22, 2020, the West Virginia Court entered judgment for Mylan that the asserted claims of the ‘514 Patent are invalid for lack of written description. We appealed the judgment to the Federal Circuit and the appeal is pending. Oral argument has been scheduled for December 8, 2020.

On September 22, 2020, the Delaware Court entered judgment for the Delaware Defendants on the grounds that the judgment of the West Virginia Court applies to the Delaware Actions under principles of collateral estoppel. We have appealed the judgment and the appeal is pending. Multiple generic versions of TECFIDERA have entered the U.S. market prior to resolution of the appeals.

On August 31, 2020, we filed a patent infringement action under the Hatch-Waxman Act against Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. and Sun Pharma Global SZE in the Delaware Court. No trial has been scheduled in this action.

In 2016 the European Patent Office (EPO) revoked our European Patent No. 2 137 537, which covers the treatment of MS with 480 mg of dimethyl fumarate as provided for in our TECFIDERA label. We have appealed to the Technical Boards of Appeal of the EPO and a hearing has been set for January 2021.

In March 2018 the EPO revoked Forward Pharma A/S' (Forward Pharma) European Patent No. 2 801 355, which expires in October 2025. Forward Pharma has filed an appeal to the Technical Boards of Appeal of the EPO and a hearing has been set for February 2021.

In November 2017 Bioeq GMBH, affiliated with the Polpharma Group, brought an action in the Polish Patent Office seeking to revoke Polish Patent No. 215263 (the Polish '263 Patent), which corresponds to our European Patent No. 1 485 127 (the E.U. '127 Patent) and covers administration of natalizumab (TYSABRI) to treat MS. The Polish '263 Patent expires in February 2023. No hearing has been set in this matter.

Swiss Pharma International AG, also affiliated with the Polpharma Group, filed actions in the District Court of the Hague, Netherlands (January 2016), the German Patents Court (March 2016) and the Commercial Court of Rome (November 2017) seeking to invalidate the Dutch, German and Italian counterparts, respectively, of the E.U. '127 Patent, which also cover administration of natalizumab (TYSABRI) to treat MS and expire in February 2023. The Dutch and German counterparts were ruled invalid. The decision in the Dutch action was affirmed on appeal and the German appeal has been withdrawn. No hearing has been set in the Italian action.

In May 2010 Biogen MA Inc. (formerly Biogen Idec MA Inc.) filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey alleging infringement by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Bayer) (manufacturer, marketer and seller of BETASERON and manufacturer of EXTAVIA), EMD Serono, Inc. (EMD Serono) (manufacturer, marketer and seller of REBIF), Pfizer (co-marketer of REBIF) and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Novartis) (marketer and seller of EXTAVIA) of our U.S. Patent No. 7,588,755 (the '755 Patent), which claims, among other things, the use of interferon beta for immunomodulation. The complaint seeks monetary damages, including lost profits and royalties.

Bayer, Pfizer, Novartis and EMD Serono all filed counterclaims seeking declaratory judgments of patent invalidity and non-infringement and seeking monetary relief in the form of costs and attorneys' fees. Bayer had previously filed a complaint against us in the same court, on May 27, 2010, seeking a declaratory judgment that it does not infringe the '755 Patent and that the '755 Patent is invalid, and seeking monetary relief in the form of attorneys' fees, costs and expenses. Bayer has also requested ex parte reexamination by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office of Claim 1 of the ‘755 Patent, which request was granted in January 2020 and is pending.

In October 2018 Pharmaceutical Works Polpharma SA (Polpharma) filed an application in the General Court of the European Union seeking to annul a decision of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in which the EMA refused to validate Polpharma’s application to market a generic version of TECFIDERA on the grounds that TECFIDERA benefits from regulatory data protection (RDP). Polpharma disputes that TECFIDERA benefits from RDP. Biogen and the European Commission were granted leave to intervene in the case in support of the EMA and the case is pending. A hearing was held on July 13, 2020, and we are awaiting a decision.

We have received subpoenas and other requests from the U.S. government for documents and information relating to our relationship with non-profit organizations that assist patients taking drugs sold by Biogen and the government has challenged some of our contributions to these organizations. We have reached an agreement in principle with the government to resolve this matter. We have accrued the amount of our best estimate of the minimum probable loss in this matter.

We are also involved in product liability claims and other legal proceedings generally incidental to our normal business activities. While the outcome of any of these proceedings cannot be accurately predicted, we do not believe the ultimate resolution of any of these existing matters would have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition.