Used primarily in pharmaceutical research, this compound serves as a key metabolite in the study of corticosteroid metabolism. It plays a significant role in understanding the biological activity and clearance pathways of budesonide, a widely used anti-inflammatory agent. Due to its structural similarity to active glucocorticoids, it is also investigated for potential anti-inflammatory effects, particularly in respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD. Its presence in metabolic studies helps assess drug efficacy, safety, and patient response variability. Additionally, it is employed as a reference standard in analytical methods such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for quantifying drug metabolites in clinical and pharmacokinetic studies.