Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the production of certain vasodilator drugs. It plays a key role in the preparation of verapamil and related calcium channel blockers used to treat cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension and angina. Its functional groups allow for easy modification in multi-step organic syntheses, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for building complex molecules. Also utilized in research settings for developing new bioactive compounds and in the creation of analogs for structure-activity relationship studies.