Used primarily as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds, particularly in the development of antimalarial and anticancer agents. Its structure allows for selective functionalization, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for building complex quinoline-based molecules. It is also employed in research settings to develop novel kinase inhibitors and antimicrobial agents. Due to the presence of both chloro and iodo substituents, it enables sequential cross-coupling reactions, facilitating the introduction of diverse organic groups in drug discovery pathways.