Used primarily as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of serotonin and dopamine reuptake inhibitors. Its rigid, polycyclic structure makes it valuable in medicinal chemistry for designing bioactive molecules with enhanced selectivity and metabolic stability. Commonly employed in research settings to construct complex heterocyclic systems found in central nervous system (CNS) agents. Also utilized in asymmetric synthesis due to its chiral scaffold, enabling the production of enantiomerically pure drugs.