Used in pharmaceutical synthesis as an intermediate for developing bioactive molecules, particularly in the production of indole-based drug candidates. Its functional groups—aldehyde, ester, and protected amine—allow selective reactions for building complex structures, especially in anticancer and antiviral research. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for constructing tryptamine or tryptophan derivatives through multi-step synthesis. The Boc-protected amine ensures stability during reactions, while the aldehyde enables coupling or cyclization steps, making it valuable in heterocyclic compound development.