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Acquisitions, Divestitures, Research Collaborations and License Agreements - Acquisitions Narrative (Detail) € in Millions, $ in Millions | 1 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |
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Jun. 30, 2018 AUD ($) | Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) | Oct. 31, 2017 USD ($) | Oct. 31, 2017 EUR (€) | Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($) | Jul. 31, 2016 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) | Jan. 31, 2016 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2019 EUR (€) | Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2019 EUR (€)
Acquisitions Divestitures Research Collaborations And License Agreements Transactions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Research and development |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 9,752,000,000 | $ 10,339,000,000 | $ 10,261,000,000 |
Goodwill |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 18,284,000,000 | 18,253,000,000 | 18,284,000,000 | 18,162,000,000 |
Contingent consideration |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 935,000,000 | 788,000,000 | 935,000,000 | $ 891,000,000 |
Payments of contingent consideration |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 244,000,000 | $ 100,000,000 |  |
Measurement Input, Discount Rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions Divestitures Research Collaborations And License Agreements Transactions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Intangible asset, measurement input |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.115 |
Viralytics |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions Divestitures Research Collaborations And License Agreements Transactions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash paid for acquisition of business | $ 502 | $ 378,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other net assets |  | $ 34,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Research and development |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 344,000,000 |  |  |
Rigontec |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions Divestitures Research Collaborations And License Agreements Transactions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash paid for acquisition of business |  |  | $ 140,000,000 | € 119 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Potential future milestone payments, maximum | € |  |  |  | 349 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Potential future milestone payment, research milestones and regulatory approvals | € |  |  |  | 184 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Potential future milestone payment, commercial targets | € |  |  |  | € 165 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Vallee SA |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions Divestitures Research Collaborations And License Agreements Transactions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash paid for acquisition of business |  |  |  |  | $ 358,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other net assets |  |  |  |  | $ 32,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Voting rights acquired (as percent) |  |  |  |  | 93.50% |  |  |  |  |  | 4.50% |  | 4.50% |  |
Escrow deposit |  |  |  |  | $ 176,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Identifiable intangible assets |  |  |  |  | 297,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Deferred tax liabilities |  |  |  |  | 102,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Noncontrolling interest |  |  |  |  | 25,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Contingent liabilities |  |  |  |  | 37,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Indemnification assets |  |  |  |  | 37,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill |  |  |  |  | $ 156,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Estimated useful life of intangible assets, acquired |  |  |  |  | 15 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments to acquire additional interest |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 18,000,000 |  |  |  |
Vallee SA | Measurement Input, Discount Rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions Divestitures Research Collaborations And License Agreements Transactions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Intangible asset, measurement input |  |  |  |  | 0.155 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Afferent Pharmaceuticals |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions Divestitures Research Collaborations And License Agreements Transactions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash paid for acquisition of business |  |  |  |  |  | $ 487,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Consideration transferred in business combination |  |  |  |  |  | 510,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other net assets |  |  |  |  |  | 29,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Potential future milestone payments, maximum |  |  |  |  |  | 750,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Deferred tax liabilities |  |  |  |  |  | 258,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill |  |  |  |  |  | 130,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Contingent consideration |  |  |  |  |  | 223,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
In-process research and development (IPR&D) |  |  |  |  |  | $ 832,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments of contingent consideration |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 175,000,000 |  |  |
Afferent Pharmaceuticals | Measurement Input, Discount Rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions Divestitures Research Collaborations And License Agreements Transactions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Intangible asset, measurement input |  |  |  |  |  | 0.115 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Moderna Therapeutics |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions Divestitures Research Collaborations And License Agreements Transactions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Upfront and milestone payments |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 200,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
IOmet Pharma Ltd |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions Divestitures Research Collaborations And License Agreements Transactions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash paid for acquisition of business |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 150,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Potential future milestone payments, maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 250,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 57,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Contingent consideration |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 94,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
In-process research and development (IPR&D) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 155,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments of contingent consideration |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 100,000,000 |  |
Deferred tax assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 32,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
IOmet Pharma Ltd | Measurement Input, Discount Rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions Divestitures Research Collaborations And License Agreements Transactions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Intangible asset, measurement input |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.105 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Forecast | Antelliq |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions Divestitures Research Collaborations And License Agreements Transactions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash paid for acquisition of business |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,400,000,000 | € 2,100 |  |  |  |  |
Debt assumed |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1,300,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  | € 1,100

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- Definition The aggregate costs incurred (1) in a planned search or critical investigation aimed at discovery of new knowledge with the hope that such knowledge will be useful in developing a new product or service, a new process or technique, or in bringing about a significant improvement to an existing product or process; or (2) to translate research findings or other knowledge into a plan or design for a new product or process or for a significant improvement to an existing product or process whether intended for sale or the entity's use, during the reporting period charged to research and development projects, including the costs of developing computer software up to the point in time of achieving technological feasibility, and costs allocated in accounting for a business combination to in-process projects deemed to have no alternative future use. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 985 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6501960&loc=d3e128462-111756 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 730 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6420194&loc=d3e21568-108373 + Details
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