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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Overview | Biogen is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and delivering worldwide innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases as well as related therapeutic adjacencies. Our core growth areas include multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuroimmunology; Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia; neuromuscular disorders, including spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease; and ophthalmology. We are also focused on discovering, developing and delivering worldwide innovative therapies in our emerging growth areas of immunology; neurocognitive disorders; acute neurology; and pain. In addition, we commercialize biosimilars of advanced biologics. We support our drug discovery and development efforts through the commitment of significant resources to discovery, research and development programs and business development opportunities. Our marketed products include TECFIDERA, VUMERITY, AVONEX, PLEGRIDY, TYSABRI and FAMPYRA for the treatment of MS; SPINRAZA for the treatment of SMA; and FUMADERM for the treatment of severe plaque psoriasis. We also have certain business and financial rights with respect to RITUXAN for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and other conditions; RITUXAN HYCELA for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and CLL; GAZYVA for the treatment of CLL and follicular lymphoma; OCREVUS for the treatment of primary progressive MS and relapsing MS; and other potential anti-CD20 therapies pursuant to our collaboration arrangements with Genentech, Inc. (Genentech), a wholly-owned member of the Roche Group. For additional information on our collaboration arrangements with Genentech, please read Note 18, Collaborative and Other Relationships, to our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 (2019 Form 10-K). Our innovative drug development and commercialization activities are complemented by our biosimilar business that expands access to medicines and reduces the cost burden for healthcare systems. Through Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd. (Samsung Bioepis), our joint venture with Samsung BioLogics Co., Ltd. (Samsung BioLogics), we market and sell BENEPALI, an etanercept biosimilar referencing ENBREL, IMRALDI, an adalimumab biosimilar referencing HUMIRA, and FLIXABI, an infliximab biosimilar referencing REMICADE, in certain countries in Europe and have exclusive rights to commercialize these products in China. Additionally, we have exclusive rights to commercialize two potential ophthalmology biosimilar products, SB11 referencing LUCENTIS and SB15 referencing EYLEA, in major markets worldwide, including the United States (U.S.), Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia. For additional information on our collaboration arrangements with Samsung Bioepis, please read Note 16, Collaborative and Other Relationships, to these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements (condensed consolidated financial statements).
Basis of presentation | In the opinion of management, our condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, necessary for a fair statement of our financial statements for interim periods in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP). The information included in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes included in our 2019 Form 10-K. Our accounting policies are described in the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” in our 2019 Form 10-K and updated, as necessary, in this report. The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet data presented for comparative purposes was derived from our audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2020, are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year or for any other subsequent interim period. We operate as one operating segment, focused on discovering, developing and delivering worldwide therapies for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases as well as related therapeutic adjacencies.
Consolidation | Our condensed consolidated financial statements reflect our financial statements, those of our wholly-owned subsidiaries and those of certain variable interest entities where we are the primary beneficiary. For consolidated entities where we own or are exposed to less than 100% of the economics, we record net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests in our condensed consolidated statements of income equal to the percentage of the economic or ownership interest retained in such entities by the respective noncontrolling parties. Intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. In determining whether we are the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity, we apply a qualitative approach that determines whether we have both (1) the power to direct the economically significant activities of the entity and (2) the obligation to absorb losses of, or the right to receive benefits from, the entity that could potentially be significant to that entity. These considerations impact the way we account for our existing collaborative relationships and other arrangements. We continuously assess whether we are the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity as changes to existing relationships or future transactions may result in us consolidating or deconsolidating one or more of our collaborators or partners.
Use of estimates | The preparation of our condensed consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that may affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, equity, revenues and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis we evaluate our estimates, judgments and methodologies. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets, liabilities and equity and the amount of revenues and expenses. The full extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will directly or indirectly impact our business, results of operations and financial condition, including sales, expenses, reserves and allowances, manufacturing, clinical trials, research and development costs and employee-related amounts, will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain, including as a result of new information that may emerge concerning COVID-19 and the actions taken to contain it or treat COVID-19, as well as the economic impact on local, regional, national and international customers and markets. We have made estimates of the impact of COVID-19 within our financial statements and there may be changes to those estimates in future periods. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
New accounting pronouncements | From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) or other standard setting bodies that we adopt as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed below, we do not believe that the adoption of recently issued standards have or may have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements or disclosures. Credit Losses In June 2016 the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The FASB subsequently issued amendments to ASU 2016-13, which have the same effective date and transition date of January 1, 2020. This standard requires entities to estimate an expected lifetime credit loss on financial assets ranging from short-term trade accounts receivable to long-term financings and report credit losses using an expected losses model rather than the incurred losses model that was previously used, and establishes additional disclosures related to credit risks. For available-for-sale debt securities with unrealized losses, the standard now requires allowances to be recorded instead of reducing the amortized cost of the investment. This standard limits the amount of credit losses to be recognized for available-for-sale debt securities to the amount by which carrying value exceeds fair value and requires the reversal of previously recognized credit losses if fair value increases. This standard became effective for us on January 1, 2020, and based on the composition of our trade receivables, investment portfolio and other financial assets, current economic conditions and historical credit loss activity, the adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. During the three months ended March 31, 2020, we recorded an immaterial amount associated with expected credit losses related to outstanding trade receivables in certain foreign countries that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fair Value Measurements In August 2018 the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. This standard modifies certain disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. This standard became effective for us on January 1, 2020, and did not have a material impact on our disclosures. For the new disclosures regarding our Level 3 instruments, please read Note 7, Fair Value Measurements, to these condensed consolidated financial statements. Internal Use Software In August 2018 the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. This standard clarifies the accounting for implementation costs in cloud computing arrangements. This standard became effective for us on January 1, 2020, and was adopted on a prospective basis, resulting in an insignificant amount of additional assets being recorded on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. Collaborative Arrangements In November 2018 the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-18, Collaborative Arrangements (Topic 808): Clarifying the Interaction between Topic 808 and Topic 606. This standard makes targeted improvements for collaborative arrangements as follows:
• | Clarifies that certain transactions between collaborative arrangement participants should be accounted for as revenue under Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, when the collaborative arrangement participant is a customer in the context of a unit of account. In those situations, all the guidance in ASC 606 should be applied, including recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure requirements;
• | Adds unit-of-account guidance to ASC 808, Collaborative Arrangements, to align with the guidance in ASC 606 (that is, a distinct good or service) when an entity is assessing whether the collaborative arrangement or a part of the arrangement is within the scope of ASC 606; and
• | Precludes a company from presenting transactions with collaborative arrangement participants that are not directly related to sales to third parties with revenue recognized under ASC 606 if the collaborative arrangement participant is not a customer.
This standard became effective for us on January 1, 2020, and did not have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

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