v2.4.1.9
Acquisitions (Details) (USD $)
1 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended 1 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Sep. 30, 2014
Jun. 30, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Sep. 30, 2013
Jun. 30, 2013
Mar. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Feb. 17, 2012
Apr. 30, 2014
Jan. 31, 2015
Jul. 31, 2014
Sep. 30, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Restricted cash $ 0us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsNoncurrent $ 5,405,600,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsNoncurrent       $ 0us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsNoncurrent       $ 5,405,600,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsNoncurrent $ 0us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsNoncurrent             $ 5,405,600,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsNoncurrent
Acquired in-process research and development 57,100,000lly_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopment 105,200,000lly_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopment 95,000,000lly_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopment 0lly_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopment 0lly_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopment 57,100,000lly_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopment 0lly_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopment 0lly_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopment 0lly_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopment 200,200,000lly_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopment 57,100,000lly_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopment 0lly_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopment            
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired                   551,400,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired 43,700,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired 199,300,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired            
Goodwill 1,516,800,000us-gaap_Goodwill 1,758,100,000us-gaap_Goodwill       1,516,800,000us-gaap_Goodwill       1,758,100,000us-gaap_Goodwill 1,516,800,000us-gaap_Goodwill             1,758,100,000us-gaap_Goodwill
ChemGen [Member]                                    
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred                         206,900,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_ChemgenMember
         
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles                         151,500,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedIntangibles
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_ChemgenMember
         
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net                         55,400,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedNet
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_ChemgenMember
         
Lohmann Animal Health [Member]                                    
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred                           591,200,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_LohmannAnimalHealthMember
       
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net                           51,100,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedNet
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_LohmannAnimalHealthMember
       
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired                           551,400,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_LohmannAnimalHealthMember
       
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Liabilities, Long-term Debt                           39,800,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedCurrentLiabilitiesLongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_LohmannAnimalHealthMember
       
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Property, Plant, and Equipment                           89,800,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedPropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_LohmannAnimalHealthMember
       
Goodwill                           243,700,000us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_LohmannAnimalHealthMember
       
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Liabilities Noncurrent                           92,700,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedDeferredTaxLiabilitiesNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_LohmannAnimalHealthMember
       
Novartis Animal Health [Member]                                    
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Revenue                   20,700,000,000us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionsProFormaRevenue
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_NovartisAnimalHealthMember
               
Novartis Animal Health [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]                                    
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred                             5,400,000,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_NovartisAnimalHealthMember
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
     
Immunocore Limited [Member]                                    
Acquired in-process research and development                               45,000,000lly_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopment
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_ImmunocoreLimitedMember
   
AstraZeneca [Member]                                    
Acquired in-process research and development                                 50,000,000lly_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopment
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_AstraZenecaMember
 
Adocia [Member]                                    
Acquired in-process research and development                                   50,000,000lly_AcquiredInProcessResearchAndDevelopment
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_AdociaMember
Developed Technology Rights [Member] | Lohmann Animal Health [Member]                                    
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles                           275,400,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedIntangibles
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_LohmannAnimalHealthMember
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_DevelopedTechnologyRightsMember
       
Customer Relationships [Member] | Lohmann Animal Health [Member]                                    
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles                           23,900,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedIntangibles
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= lly_LohmannAnimalHealthMember
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerRelationshipsMember
       
United States [Member] | U.S. Sentinel Product Line [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]                                    
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses                             $ 410,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses
/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis
= lly_U.S.SentinelProductLineMember
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_US
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember