Used in pharmaceutical research as a key intermediate in the synthesis of kinase inhibitors, particularly in the development of anticancer agents. It serves as a structural scaffold for compounds targeting tyrosine kinases involved in tumor growth and angiogenesis. Its derivatization allows optimization of biological activity and selectivity in drug candidates. Also explored in the design of neuroprotective agents due to its indolinone core, which shows affinity for central nervous system targets. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies.