Used as a chiral intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical agents, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors and antiviral drugs. Its stereochemistry allows for selective reactions in asymmetric synthesis, making it valuable in constructing complex bioactive molecules. Commonly employed in the preparation of pyrrolidine-based drug candidates where the hydroxy and cyano functional groups can be further modified to introduce diverse pharmacophores. Also utilized in medicinal chemistry research for optimizing metabolic stability and binding affinity in peptide mimetics.