Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of antidiabetic drugs like saxagliptin. It serves as a chiral building block, enabling the formation of active pharmaceutical ingredients with high enantioselectivity. Its structure supports the creation of peptidomimetic compounds that inhibit dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4), enhancing insulin release in type 2 diabetes treatment. Commonly employed in research and industrial settings for scalable, efficient drug production.