Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of bioactive molecules and peptidomimetics. Its protected amine and carboxylic acid functionalities allow for selective coupling reactions, making it valuable in solid-phase and solution-phase peptide synthesis. Commonly employed in the preparation of enzyme inhibitors and receptor modulators due to its conformationally constrained cyclohexane ring. Also utilized in medicinal chemistry for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies where stereochemistry plays a critical role in biological activity.