Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of antiviral and anti-inflammatory agents. Its structure serves as a building block for more complex molecules due to the reactive carboxylic acid group and the partially saturated pyran ring, which can undergo further functionalization. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for scaffold modification and optimization of drug candidates. Also utilized in the preparation of heterocyclic compounds for biological screening and in the design of enzyme inhibitors.