Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of nicotinic acid derivatives with potential biological activity. It serves as a building block in the preparation of compounds studied for their use in central nervous system agents and anti-inflammatory drugs. The presence of both ester and nitro groups allows for further chemical modifications, enabling the creation of diverse heterocyclic structures important in medicinal chemistry. Commonly employed in research settings for structure-activity relationship studies in drug discovery.