Generation of new knowledge in the drug discovery field (a search of new lead compounds, rational drug design, synthesis of drugs, biological evaluation of candidate compounds, molecular modelling, spectroscopic studies of drug molecules, study of interactions of active compounds with their binding sites) will enable Slovenia to follow the new trends in the field of medicinal chemistry. A good cooperation of the programme group with the Slovenian pharmaceutical industry offers a potential for the development of novel antithrombotic and antibacterial drugs based on new selective thrombin inhibitors, new fibrinogen receptor antagonists, new antithrombotic compounds with a dual mechanism of action and new inhibitors of peptidoglycane biosynthesis. Stable nitroxides are important molecular tools for the study of interactions in biological systems with using the electrone spin resonance. A major adavantage of the Slovenian environment for these studies in comparison to different ESR centers in the world is our own design and synthesis od problem-specific nitroxides as molecular tools for studying interactions in biological systems. Gene changes in osteoporosis which we discovered could be applied as diagnostic markers used to identify individuals with a higher risk for development of osteoporosis. In this way, preventive measures could be introduced in order to prevent the onset of the disease. Taking into account a high prevalence of osteoporosis, this would be an important contribution to a decrease of health care cost in Slovenia.