Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of bioactive molecules and drug candidates. Its stereochemistry makes it valuable for creating enantioselective compounds, especially in central nervous system agents and enzyme inhibitors. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for structure-activity relationship studies due to its rigid piperidine scaffold. Also utilized in the preparation of protease inhibitors and receptor modulators where stereochemical control is critical for biological activity.