Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical agents, particularly in the development of kinase inhibitors for targeted cancer therapies. Its structure allows for selective binding to specific enzyme sites, making it valuable in creating compounds that modulate cellular signaling pathways. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies due to the presence of halogen and nitrile functional groups, which enhance binding affinity and metabolic stability. Also utilized in the preparation of fluorinated analogs to improve pharmacokinetic properties in drug candidates.