Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds, particularly in the development of central nervous system agents and analgesics. Its structure supports the creation of more complex molecules with potential activity as pain relievers or neuroactive drugs. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry research for building blocks in drug discovery due to the presence of both amino and ester functionalities, which allow for further chemical modifications. Also utilized in the preparation of analogs for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies.