Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs. It serves as a building block for heterocyclic compounds due to the presence of both amino and ester functional groups, which allow for further chemical modifications. Commonly employed in the preparation of local anesthetics and certain central nervous system agents. Its chloro-substituent enhances reactivity in cross-coupling reactions, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for constructing complex drug molecules.