It is primarily used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the production of antibiotics and antiviral drugs. Its chiral structure makes it valuable in creating enantiomerically pure compounds, which are essential for developing drugs with specific biological activities. Additionally, it serves as a building block in organic synthesis for constructing complex molecules with potential therapeutic applications. In research, it is employed in the study of biochemical pathways and enzyme interactions due to its structural similarity to naturally occurring amino alcohols.