Used in pharmaceutical research, particularly in the development of drugs targeting neurological disorders. It serves as a key intermediate in synthesizing compounds that modulate neurotransmitter activity, aiding in the treatment of conditions like epilepsy and depression.

Additionally, it is utilized in biochemical studies to explore enzyme mechanisms and metabolic pathways related to amino acid derivatives.

Its role in creating chiral molecules makes it valuable for producing enantiomerically pure substances in medicinal chemistry.