Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors and other biologically active molecules. Its structure allows for selective functionalization in peptide-like chains, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for building complex, chiral molecules. Commonly employed in solid-phase peptide synthesis due to the Fmoc group, which provides orthogonal protection for amine functionalities. The ketone group enables further derivatization, such as reductive amination or nucleophilic addition, facilitating the creation of diverse compound libraries for drug discovery.