Used in pharmaceutical research as a chiral intermediate for developing central nervous system agents, particularly in the synthesis of selective receptor modulators. Its structure supports binding to G-protein coupled receptors, making it valuable in the design of potential treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders. The (R)-enantiomer shows higher biological activity in certain assays, emphasizing its importance in stereochemically pure drug formulations. Also investigated for use in metabolic stability studies due to its carboxylic acid functionality and lipophilic aromatic groups.