Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) with analgesic or anti-inflammatory properties. It serves as a building block in heterocyclic chemistry, enabling the construction of complex ring systems found in bioactive molecules. Its functional groups—amino, cyano, and ester—allow for sequential transformations, such as cyclizations and nucleophilic substitutions, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry research and development. Also applied in the preparation of dyes and functional materials due to its aromatic structure and reactivity.