Note 5: Asset Impairment, Restructuring, and Other Special Charges

The components of the charges included in asset impairment, restructuring, and other special charges in our consolidated statements of operations are described below.



	2013		2012		2011
Severance	$	90.6	$	74.5	$	251.8
Asset impairment and other special charges	30.0		206.6		149.6
Asset impairment, restructuring, and other special charges	$	120.6	$	281.1	$	401.4

Severance costs listed above for all years relate to initiatives to reduce our cost structure and global workforce.

For the year ended December 31, 2013, we incurred $30.0 million of asset impairment and other special charges related primarily to costs associated with the anticipated closure of a packaging and distribution facility in Germany.

For the year ended December 31, 2012, we incurred $206.6 million of asset impairment and other special charges consisting of $122.6 million related to an intangible asset impairment for liprotamase (see Note 8) net of the reduction of the related contingent consideration liability, $64.0 million related to the recognition of an asset impairment associated with the decision to stop development of a delivery device platform, and $20.0 million resulting from a change in our estimates of returned product related to the withdrawal of Xigris^™ from the market during the fourth quarter of 2011.

For the year ended December 31, 2011, we incurred $149.6 million of asset impairments and other special charges primarily consisting of $85.0 million for returned product and contractual commitments related to the withdrawal of Xigris from the market and $56.1 million related to our decision to vacate certain leased premises.