Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of protease inhibitors, particularly in the development of antiviral drugs. Its structure supports binding to enzyme active sites, making it valuable in pharmaceutical research for designing inhibitors that target specific proteolytic enzymes. Commonly applied in medicinal chemistry for optimizing drug candidates against viral infections such as hepatitis C. Also utilized in structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies to enhance potency, selectivity, and metabolic stability of drug molecules.