Used primarily as a key intermediate in the synthesis of certain pharmaceutical compounds, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors. Its rigid polycyclic structure and chiral centers make it valuable in asymmetric synthesis, where it helps control stereochemistry in complex drug molecules. It has also been explored in the design of enzyme inhibitors due to the electron-withdrawing effect of the trichloromethyl group, enhancing binding affinity to active sites. Limited to research settings, it is not used directly as an active pharmaceutical ingredient but serves as a building block in medicinal chemistry for creating bioactive molecules.