Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) where stereochemistry plays a critical role in biological activity. Its cyclic structure and functional groups make it suitable for use in asymmetric synthesis and as an intermediate in the production of antihypertensive agents, antiviral drugs, and other medicinally relevant compounds. It is also employed in the preparation of biodegradable polymers and as a derivatizing agent in analytical chemistry for the separation and identification of enantiomers.