Used primarily as an intermediate in the synthesis of calcium channel blockers, particularly in the production of pharmaceuticals like nifedipine analogs. These drugs are widely prescribed for the treatment of hypertension and angina due to their ability to relax vascular smooth muscle by inhibiting calcium influx into cells. The compound’s functional groups allow for further chemical modifications, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for developing new cardiovascular agents. It is also employed in research settings to study structure-activity relationships in dihydropyridine derivatives.