Cost savings initiatives and restructuring	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Cost savings initiatives	Cost savings initiatives Manufacturing operations optimization In order to optimize our network of manufacturing facilities and improve cost effectiveness, we determined that certain manufacturing facilities located in Boulder, Colorado, were no longer needed and accordingly, they were abandoned during the fourth quarter of 2012. This resulted in the write-off of the carrying value of the facility, which aggregated $118 million, during the year ended December 31, 2012. The amount is included in Cost of sales (excludes amortization of certain acquired intangible assets) in the Consolidated Statement of Income. On January 18, 2011, we entered into an agreement whereby Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) agreed to acquire our rights in and substantially all assets at our manufacturing facility located in Fremont, California. The transaction closed in March 2011. In connection with the closing of the transaction, BI assumed our obligations under certain of the facility’s operating lease contracts and entered into an agreement to manufacture certain quantities of our marketed product Vectibix^® for us at this facility through December 31, 2012 (the supply period). As a result of the transaction with BI, an impairment analysis was performed on this facility which determined that a manufacturing line that had not yet been completed was impaired, and we wrote off its entire carrying value, which aggregated $118 million, during the year ended December 31, 2010. This amount is included in Other operating expenses in the Consolidated Statement of Income. Due to the lack of sufficient initial investment by BI in the acquisition of this facility and our ongoing involvement with these operations, the transaction did not meet the accounting requirements to be treated as a sale involving real estate. As a result, the related assets continued to be carried on our Consolidated Balance Sheets with reduced estimated useful lives of the remaining fixed assets to coincide with the supply period. During each of the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, we recorded incremental depreciation of approximately $42 million in excess of what otherwise would have been recorded. In addition, due to the assignment to BI of the obligations under certain of the facility’s operating leases, we recorded charges of approximately $23 million during the year ended December 31, 2011, with respect to the lease period beyond the end of the supply period. These amounts are recorded in Cost of sales (excludes amortization of certain acquired intangible assets) in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Other cost savings initiatives As part of our continuing efforts to improve cost efficiencies in our operations, we recorded certain charges aggregating approximately $175 million and $109 million during the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, which are included in Other operating expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income. The 2012 expenses are primarily severance-related and charges related to exiting leased facilities, and the 2011 expenses are primarily severance-related.

Cost savings initiatives

Manufacturing operations optimization

In order to optimize our network of manufacturing facilities and improve cost effectiveness, we determined that certain manufacturing facilities located in Boulder, Colorado, were no longer needed and accordingly, they were abandoned during the fourth quarter of 2012. This resulted in the write-off of the carrying value of the facility, which aggregated $118 million, during the year ended December 31, 2012. The amount is included in Cost of sales (excludes amortization of certain acquired intangible assets) in the Consolidated Statement of Income.

On January 18, 2011, we entered into an agreement whereby Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) agreed to acquire our rights in and substantially all assets at our manufacturing facility located in Fremont, California. The transaction closed in March 2011. In connection with the closing of the transaction, BI assumed our obligations under certain of the facility’s operating lease contracts and entered into an agreement to manufacture certain quantities of our marketed product Vectibix^® for us at this facility through December 31, 2012 (the supply period).

As a result of the transaction with BI, an impairment analysis was performed on this facility which determined that a manufacturing line that had not yet been completed was impaired, and we wrote off its entire carrying value, which aggregated $118 million, during the year ended December 31, 2010. This amount is included in Other operating expenses in the Consolidated Statement of Income.

Due to the lack of sufficient initial investment by BI in the acquisition of this facility and our ongoing involvement with these operations, the transaction did not meet the accounting requirements to be treated as a sale involving real estate. As a result, the related assets continued to be carried on our Consolidated Balance Sheets with reduced estimated useful lives of the remaining fixed assets to coincide with the supply period. During each of the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, we recorded incremental depreciation of approximately $42 million in excess of what otherwise would have been recorded. In addition, due to the assignment to BI of the obligations under certain of the facility’s operating leases, we recorded charges of approximately $23 million during the year ended December 31, 2011, with respect to the lease period beyond the end of the supply period. These amounts are recorded in Cost of sales (excludes amortization of certain acquired intangible assets) in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Other cost savings initiatives

As part of our continuing efforts to improve cost efficiencies in our operations, we recorded certain charges aggregating approximately $175 million and $109 million during the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, which are included in Other operating expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income. The 2012 expenses are primarily severance-related and charges related to exiting leased facilities, and the 2011 expenses are primarily severance-related.