Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors and other bioactive molecules. Its enantiomerically pure amine functionality allows for selective reactions in asymmetric synthesis. Commonly employed in the preparation of peptide mimetics and enzyme inhibitors due to its structural similarity to natural amino acids. Also utilized in medicinal chemistry research for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies, especially in targeting metabolic and neurological disorders.