Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of nicotinic acid derivatives with potential metabolic and cardiovascular applications. It serves as a building block in heterocyclic chemistry, enabling the construction of complex pyridine-based structures. Its functional groups allow for easy modification, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for creating analogs in drug discovery programs. Also employed in research settings to study enzyme inhibition and receptor binding due to its structural similarity to biologically active pyridones.