It takes about twelve years to develop a new medicine. During this time, highly qualified scientists from a variety of disciplines work on translating an idea for a new treatment approach starting from biological test systems in the laboratory to a drug candidate which can reach the patient. They screen 5,000 to 10,000 compounds, of which only four or five medicine candidates eventually remain for further critical assessment. These are then tested on humans in clinical studies. At the end of the process, only one substance becomes available to physicians and patients if is approved by authorities. Cooperation in interdepartmental, multidisciplinary teams is an important requirement for success in the complex process of medicines development.