XML 132 R68.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.8.0.1

Intangible Assets and Goodwill (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Feb. 01, 2017
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Elimination of goodwill allocated to our hemophilia business |  | $ 0.0 |  |
Income tax benefit (expense) | $ 2,458.7 | 1,237.3 | $ 1,161.6 |
Accumulated impairment losses related to goodwill | 0.0 |  |  |
Summary of roll forward of the changes in goodwill |  |  |  |
Goodwill, beginning of period | 3,669.3 | 2,663.8 |  |
Increase to goodwill | 1,267.3 | 1,026.9 |  |
Other | 10.0 | (21.4) |  |
Goodwill, end of period | 4,632.5 | 3,669.3 | $ 2,663.8 |
Fumapharm AG | TECFIDERA |  |  |  |
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Income tax benefit (expense) | 232.7 | 173.1 |  |
Summary of roll forward of the changes in goodwill |  |  |  |
Increase to goodwill | $ 1,500.0 | $ 1,200.0 |  |
Bioverativ |  |  |  |
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Elimination of goodwill allocated to our hemophilia business |  |  |  | $ (314.1)

X
- Definition Amount classified as goodwill attributable to disposal group held for sale or disposed of. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 11 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65878427&loc=SL51721533-107759 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65878427&loc=d3e1107-107759 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5B -Subparagraph (e) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64827811&loc=SL51721673-107760 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 360 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (e) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84176398&loc=d3e2941-110230 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationGoodwill1
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount after accumulated impairment loss of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388280&loc=d3e13770-109266 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77989000&loc=SL49117168-202975 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_Goodwill
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of increase in asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized resulting from a business combination. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_GoodwillAcquiredDuringPeriod
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of accumulated impairment loss for an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a,h) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- 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_GoodwillLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of increase (decrease), classified as other, of an asset representing the future economic benefits from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (g) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_GoodwillOtherIncreaseDecrease
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_GoodwillRollForward
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -Subparagraph (a),(b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32639-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=biib_FumapharmAgMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=biib_TecfideraMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis=biib_BioverativMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |