Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of potent pharmaceutical agents, particularly in the development of selective kinase inhibitors. Its unique polycyclic structure with nitro and aldehyde functional groups allows for selective derivatization, enabling the construction of complex bioactive molecules. It is employed in medicinal chemistry research for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies, especially in oncology and inflammatory disease targets. The compound's rigid framework also makes it valuable in the design of conformationally constrained analogs to improve metabolic stability and target binding affinity.