Used in pharmaceutical research as a chiral building block for synthesizing neuroactive compounds. Shows potential in the development of drugs targeting glutamate receptors due to structural similarity to endogenous amino acids involved in neurotransmission. Also employed in asymmetric synthesis to introduce stereochemical control in complex molecule construction. Its carboxylic acid groups allow for salt formation and improved solubility in aqueous formulations, making it suitable for early-stage drug screening.