Used as a key chiral intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors and other biologically active molecules. Its pyridine and carboxylic acid functional groups enable strong binding interactions with enzyme active sites, making it valuable in drug design. The Boc-protected amine allows for controlled deprotection and further coupling in peptide-like structures, commonly applied in medicinal chemistry for building complex molecules with high stereochemical purity.