Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of central nervous system agents and analgesics. Its structure supports the formation of compounds with high blood-brain barrier permeability, making it valuable in designing neuroactive drugs. The presence of both hydroxyl and dimethylaminomethyl groups allows for versatile chemical modifications, facilitating the creation of diverse molecular scaffolds for drug discovery. Commonly employed in the preparation of potent sigma receptor ligands and opioid receptor modulators.