Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of bioactive molecules and natural product analogs. Its rigid tetrahydroisoquinoline scaffold makes it valuable in medicinal chemistry for designing enzyme inhibitors and receptor ligands. Commonly employed in asymmetric synthesis to introduce stereochemical control. Also utilized in the preparation of peptidomimetics and central nervous system agents due to its structural similarity to neurotransmitters.