Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds, particularly in the development of drugs targeting the central nervous system. It serves as a key intermediate in the production of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other psychoactive medications. Additionally, it is employed in asymmetric catalysis to create enantiomerically pure compounds, which are crucial for the efficacy and safety of many therapeutic agents. Its role in organic synthesis also extends to the preparation of complex molecules for research and industrial applications.