Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of centrally acting agents such as antiviral and neurological drugs. Its functional groups—azide and hydroxyl—allow for selective chemical modifications, including click chemistry via azide-alkyne cycloaddition, enabling efficient linkage to other molecular scaffolds. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for building chiral piperidine derivatives, which are prevalent in bioactive molecules. Also utilized in the preparation of protease inhibitors and receptor modulators due to its structural compatibility with enzyme active sites.