This compound, known as (S)-2,6-dimethyltyrosine (Dmt), is a specialty amino acid derivative primarily used in medicinal chemistry and peptide synthesis. The ortho-dimethyl substitution enhances lipophilicity, metabolic stability, and binding affinity, making it valuable for designing proteolytically stable peptide analogs, particularly μ-opioid receptor ligands for pain management, neurological research, and drug development targeting receptors or enzymes.