Used in the synthesis of antimalarial drugs, particularly as a key intermediate in the production of artemisinin and its derivatives. It enables efficient semi-synthetic routes to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), which are critical for treating Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Its stable epoxy and carboxylic acid functional groups allow selective chemical modifications, making it valuable in pharmaceutical research to develop new analogs with improved efficacy and reduced resistance. Also explored in studies aiming to optimize large-scale artemisinin production through synthetic biology and chemical engineering approaches.