Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that require chiral cyclohexane scaffolds. Its protected amine and nitrile functional groups allow for selective transformations, making it valuable in constructing complex molecules for drug discovery. Commonly employed in the preparation of protease inhibitors and central nervous system agents due to its structural rigidity and stereochemical stability. Also utilized in solid-phase synthesis and combinatorial chemistry for generating compound libraries.