Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors and antiviral agents. Its structure supports selective binding in biological systems, making it valuable in creating chiral building blocks for drug design. Commonly employed in the preparation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) where stereochemistry plays a critical role in efficacy. Also utilized in research settings for the development of enzyme inhibitors due to its ability to mimic transition states in peptide hydrolysis.