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Such securities are reported at fair value;... false false false false false false false false false false false verboselabel false 1 true true false false 757800000 757800000 false false false 2 false false false false 0 0 false false false 3 true true false false 757800000 757800000 false false false 4 false false false false 0 0 false false false 5 true true false false 1875900000 1875900000 false false false xbrli:monetaryItemType monetary Total of debt securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading. Such securities are reported at fair value; unrealized gains and losses of such securities are excluded from earnings and included in other comprehensive income, a separate component of shareholders' equity, unless the Available-for-sale Security is designated as a hedge or is determined to have had an other than temporary decline in fair value below its amortized cost basis. All or a portion of the unrealized holding gain or loss of an Available-for-sale Security that is designated as being hedged in a fair value hedge shall be recognized in earnings during the period of the hedge, as should other than temporary declines in fair value below costs basis. No authoritative reference available. false 4 2 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossUnrealizedGains us-gaap true credit duration No definition available. false false false false false false false false false false false verboselabel false 1 false false false false 0 0 false false false 2 false false false false 0 0 false false false 3 false true false false 5300000 5300000 false false false 4 false false false false 0 0 false false false 5 false true false false 16700000 16700000 false false false xbrli:monetaryItemType monetary This item represents the gross unrealized gains for securities which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities. Such gross unrealized gains are the excess of the fair value of the Available-for-sale Securities over their carrying value as of the reporting date. Such gross unrealized gains are included in other comprehensive income in the statement of shareholders' equity, unless the Available-for-sale Security is designated as a hedge. All or a portion of the unrealized holding gain of an available-for-sale security that is designated as being hedged in a fair value hedge shall be recognized in earnings during the period of the hedge. 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Such gross unrealized losses are the excess of the carrying value of the Available-for-sale Securities over their fair value as of the reporting date. Such gross unrealized losses are included in other comprehensive income in the statement of shareholders' equity, unless the Available-for-sale Security is designated as a hedge or is determined to have had an other than temporary decline in fair value below its amortized cost basis. All or a portion of the unrealized holding loss of an Available-for-sale Security that is designated as being hedged in a fair value hedge shall be recognized in earnings during the period of the hedge, as should other than temporary declines in fair value below costs basis. 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Such securities are reported at fair value; unrealized gains and losses of such securities are excluded from earnings and included in other comprehensive income, a separate component of shareholders' equity, unless the Available-for-sale Security is designated as a hedge or is determined to have had an other than temporary decline in fair value below its amortized cost basis. All or a portion of the unrealized holding gain or loss of an Available-for-sale Security that is designated as being hedged in a fair value hedge shall be recognized in earnings during the period of the hedge, as should other than temporary declines in fair value below costs basis. 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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 95 -Paragraph 15 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 95 -Paragraph 16 -Subparagraph b Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 95 -Paragraph 16 -Subparagraph a false 19 2 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGains us-gaap true credit duration No definition available. false false false false false false false false false false false verboselabel false 1 false true false false 5000000 5000000 false false false 2 false true false false 3100000 3100000 false false false 3 false true false false 18100000 18100000 false false false 4 false true false false 17000000 17000000 false false false 5 false false false false 0 0 false false false xbrli:monetaryItemType monetary This item represents the gross profit realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities. 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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 115 -Paragraph 21 -Subparagraph a false 21 2 biib_FinancialInstrumentsTextualsAbstract biib false na duration Financial Instruments. false false false false false true false false false false false verboselabel false 1 false false false false 0 0 false false false 2 false false false false 0 0 false false false 3 false false false false 0 0 false false false 4 false false false false 0 0 false false false 5 false false false false 0 0 false false false xbrli:stringItemType string Financial Instruments. false 22 2 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentMaturityDateDescription us-gaap true na duration No definition available. false false false false false false false false false false false verboselabel false 1 false false false false 0 0 false false false 2 false false false false 0 0 false false false 3 false false false false 0 0 less than 90 days false false false 4 false false false false 0 0 false false false 5 false false false false 0 0 false false false xbrli:stringItemType string Description of the maturity date of the debt instrument including whether the debt matures serially and, if so, a brief description of the serial maturities. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 22 -Article 5 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 129 -Paragraph 2, 4 false 23 2 biib_FederalDepositInsuranceCorporationGuaranteedSeniorNotesIssuedUnderTemporaryLiquidityGuaranteeProgram biib false debit instant Debt securities guaranteed by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation under the Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program. false false false false false false false false false false false verboselabel false 1 false true false false 127200000 127200000 false false false 2 false false false false 0 0 false false false 3 false true false false 127200000 127200000 false false false 4 false false false false 0 0 false false false 5 false true false false 298800000 298800000 false false false xbrli:monetaryItemType monetary Debt securities guaranteed by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation under the Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program. No authoritative reference available. false 24 2 us-gaap_CommercialPaperAtCarryingValue us-gaap true debit instant No definition available. false false false false false false false false false false false verboselabel false 1 false true false false 148500000 148500000 false false false 2 false false false false 0 0 false false false 3 false true false false 148500000 148500000 false false false 4 false false false false 0 0 false false false 5 false true false false 76900000 76900000 false false false xbrli:monetaryItemType monetary Unsecured short-term debt instrument issued by corporations which are highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Generally, only investments with original maturities of three months or less qualify under that definition. Original maturity means original maturity to the entity holding the investment. For example, both a three-month US Treasury bill and a three-year Treasury note purchased three months from maturity qualify as cash equivalents. However, a Treasury note purchased three-years ago does not become a cash equivalent when its remaining maturity is three months. 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Generally, only investments with original maturities of three months or less qualify under that definition. Original maturity means original maturity to the entity holding the investment. For example, both a three-month US Treasury bill and a three-year Treasury note purchased three months from maturity qualify as cash equivalents. However, a Treasury note purchased three-years ago does not become a cash equivalent when its remaining maturity is three months. 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No authoritative reference available. false 30 2 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAbstract us-gaap true na duration No definition available. false false false false false true false false false false false verboselabel false 1 false false false false 0 0 false false false 2 false false false false 0 0 false false false 3 false false false false 0 0 false false false 4 false false false false 0 0 false false false 5 false false false false 0 0 false false false xbrli:stringItemType string No definition available. false 31 2 biib_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesFairValue biib false debit instant Total of debt securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading. 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Such gross unrealized gains are the excess of the fair value of the Available-for-sale Securities over their carrying value as of the reporting date. Such gross unrealized gains are included in other comprehensive income in the statement of shareholders' equity, unless the Available-for-sale Security is designated as a hedge. All or a portion of the unrealized holding gain of an available-for-sale security that is designated as being hedged in a fair value hedge shall be recognized in earnings during the period of the hedge. 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Such gross unrealized gains are the excess of the fair value of the Available-for-sale Securities over their carrying value as of the reporting date. Such gross unrealized gains are included in other comprehensive income in the statement of shareholders' equity, unless the Available-for-sale Security is designated as a hedge. All or a portion of the unrealized holding gain of an available-for-sale security that is designated as being hedged in a fair value hedge shall be recognized in earnings during the period of the hedge. 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Equity securities represent ownership interests or the right to acquire ownership interests in corporations and other legal entities which ownership interest is represented by shares of common or preferred stock (which is not mandatorily redeemable or redeemable at the option of the holder), convertible securities, stock rights, or stock warrants. Unrealized gains and losses related to Available-for-sale securities are excluded from earnings and reported in a separate component of shareholders' equity (other comprehensive income), unless the Available-for-sale Security is designated as a hedge or is determined to have had an other than temporary decline in fair value below its amortized cost basis. All or a portion of the unrealized holding gain or loss of an Available-for-sale Security that is designated as being hedged in a fair value hedge shall be recognized in earnings during the period of the hedge, as should other than temporary declines in fair value below costs basis. 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