Used as a protected intermediate in the synthesis of complex pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors. The tert-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) group provides amine protection during peptide coupling reactions, allowing selective deprotection under mild acidic conditions. The stereochemistry supports the construction of chiral drug molecules, especially in HIV and hepatitis C antiviral agents. The hydroxyl and amine functionalities enable further derivatization, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for building bioactive scaffolds.