Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors and other bioactive molecules. Its structure supports the construction of complex organic molecules by providing a chiral scaffold that can be further modified in multi-step reactions. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for drug discovery programs targeting viral infections and metabolic disorders. The Boc-protected amine and carboxylic acid functionalities allow for selective derivatization, making it valuable in solid-phase and solution-phase peptide-like synthesis.