Used as a chiral intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors and other bioactive molecules. Its stereochemistry allows for selective reactions in asymmetric synthesis, making it valuable in creating enantiomerically pure drugs. Commonly employed in peptide mimetics and as a building block in medicinal chemistry for designing enzyme inhibitors. The nitrophenyl group facilitates further functionalization, enabling diverse derivatization pathways in drug discovery.