XML 223 R140.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.20.4

Provisions and other non-current liabilities (Details 4) € in Millions, ¥ in Millions, $ in Millions | Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2020 EUR (€) | Dec. 31, 2020 JPY (¥) | Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Disclosure of other provisions [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Product liability contingency, loss exposure not accrued, number of cases | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,000 |  |
Product liability, government investigations, other legal matters provisions | $ 181 |  |  | $ 200 | $ 214
Product liability contingency, loss exposure not accrued, best estimate | 500 |  |  |  |
Italy | Lucentis [member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of other provisions [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Estimated financial effect of contingent liabilities, maximum fine | 1,300 |  |  |  |
Estimated financial effect of contingent liabilities, damages claimed | 330 |  |  |  |
Italy | NAG and Novartis Pharma SpA [member] | Lucentis [member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of other provisions [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Estimated financial effect of contingent liabilities | 125 |  |  |  |
Japan | Novartis Pharma K.K. [member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of other provisions [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Estimated financial effect of contingent liabilities, maximum fine | ¥ |  |  | ¥ 4 |  |
US |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of other provisions [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Amount of settlement in principle | 300 |  |  |  |
US | Sandoz [member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of other provisions [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Product liability, government investigations, other legal matters provisions | $ 187 |  |  |  |
Description of nature of obligation contingent liabilities, number of states with alleged violations | 54 | 54 | 54 |  |
Amount of settlement in principle | $ 195 |  |  |  |
US | Sandoz [member] | Enoxaparin [member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of other provisions [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Description of nature of obligation contingent liabilities, number of putative cases referred to court |  |  |  | 1 |
US | Sandoz [member] | Enoxaparin [member] | Tennessee class action [member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of other provisions [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Amount of settlement in principle |  |  |  | $ 85 |
US | Sandoz [member] | Taxotere [member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of other provisions [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Product liability contingency, loss exposure not accrued, number of cases | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,000 |  |
US | Sandoz [member] | Amiodarone [member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of other provisions [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Product liability contingency, loss exposure not accrued, number of cases | 5 | 5 | 5 |  |
US | NPC and others [member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of other provisions [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Amount of settlement in principle | $ 700 |  |  |  |
US | NPC and others [member] | Reclast/Aclasta [member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of other provisions [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Product liability contingency, loss exposure not accrued, number of cases | 20 | 20 | 20 |  |
US | NPC and others [member] | Tasigna [member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of other provisions [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Product liability contingency, loss exposure not accrued, number of cases | 80 | 80 | 80 |  |
FRANCE | F Hoffman La Roche AG and Roche SpA [member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of other provisions [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Estimated financial effect of contingent liabilities, maximum fine | $ 452 | € 385 |  |  |

X
- Definition Line items represent concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes of the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_DisclosureOfOtherProvisionsLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The amount of the estimated financial effect of contingent liabilities. [Refer: Contingent liabilities [member]] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 37 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 86 -Subparagraph a -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=37&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_86_a&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_EstimatedFinancialEffectOfContingentLiabilities
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | nvs_AmountOfSettlementInPrinciple
Namespace Prefix: | nvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | nvs_DescriptionOfNatureOfObligationContingentLiabilitiesNumberOfPutativeCasesReferredToCourt
Namespace Prefix: | nvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | nvs_DescriptionOfNatureOfObligationContingentLiabilitiesNumberOfStatesWithAllegedViolations
Namespace Prefix: | nvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | nvs_EstimatedFinancialEffectOfContingentLiabilitiesDamagesClaimed
Namespace Prefix: | nvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition This expresses a maximal amount. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | nvs_EstimatedFinancialEffectOfContingentLiabilitiesMaximumFine
Namespace Prefix: | nvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | nvs_ProductLiabilityContingencyLossExposureNotAccruedBestEstimate
Namespace Prefix: | nvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | nvs_ProductLiabilityContingencyLossExposureNotAccruedNumberOfCases
Namespace Prefix: | nvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | nvs_ProductLiabilityGovernmentInvestigationsOtherLegalMattersProvisionsNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix: | nvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_GeographicalAreasAxis=country_IT
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ProductsAndServicesAxis=nvs_LucentisMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_SignificantInvestmentsInAssociatesAxis=nvs_NAGAndNovartisPharmaSpAMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_GeographicalAreasAxis=country_JP
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_SignificantInvestmentsInAssociatesAxis=nvs_NovartisPharmaKKMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_GeographicalAreasAxis=country_US
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_SignificantInvestmentsInAssociatesAxis=nvs_SandozMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ProductsAndServicesAxis=nvs_EnoxaparinMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | srt_LitigationCaseAxis=nvs_TennesseeClassActionMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ProductsAndServicesAxis=nvs_TaxotereMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ProductsAndServicesAxis=nvs_AmiodaroneMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_SignificantInvestmentsInAssociatesAxis=nvs_NPCAndOthersMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ProductsAndServicesAxis=nvs_ReclastAclastaMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ProductsAndServicesAxis=nvs_TasignaMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_GeographicalAreasAxis=country_FR
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_SignificantInvestmentsInAssociatesAxis=nvs_FHoffmanLaRocheAGAndRocheSpAMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |