Onslaught of new drugs will shake up MS, diabetes, cancer and more

A bumper crop of FDA approvals in 2015 means an equal number of launches to keep an eye on in 2016. Last year, FiercePharmaMarketing brought you a list of 8 markets to watch--including some bracing for the next-gen entrants that arrived in 2015. One year later, those newcomers are shaking things up as expected.

In some fields, the battle is still in the early stages. Take PCSK9 cholesterol meds, for example, where Amgen ($AMGN) and the Sanofi ($SNY)/Regeneron ($REGN) team have struck a series of exclusive payer deals. Those reimbursement pacts simply laid the groundwork for an all-out war to come. The real fun is only getting started.

Other therapy areas are still expecting the kind of boat-rocking approvals that last year held for cholesterol. Multiple sclerosis and diabetes drugmakers, to name a couple, will have to welcome more new competitors into the fold next year. The hot race between PD-1 drugs from Merck & Co. ($MRK) and Bristol-Myers Squibb ($BMY) is likely to heat up further if and when a Roche ($RHHBY) competitor enters the field.

Taking all of that into consideration, we've brought you a rundown of the top pharma markets to keep tabs on in 2016. If there's one you think we missed, be sure to let us know. More