Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of nicotinamide-based drugs with potential metabolic and neurological activity. It serves as a building block in medicinal chemistry for creating analogs of vitamin B3. Also employed in research settings to study enzyme inhibition and receptor binding due to its structural similarity to nicotinamide. Its methyl substitution enhances lipophilicity, which can improve cell membrane permeability in drug design. Additionally, it finds use in the preparation of fluorescent probes and labeling agents in biochemical assays.