Used primarily as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds, particularly in the development of kinase inhibitors for cancer treatment. It serves as a building block in medicinal chemistry due to its reactive nitrile and nitro functional groups, which allow further transformations into heterocyclic structures. Its thioether linkage also contributes to binding affinity in certain biological targets. Commonly employed in research settings for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies to optimize drug candidates.