Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical agents, particularly in the development of kinase inhibitors for targeted cancer therapies. Its structure supports conjugation with heterocyclic systems, enhancing binding selectivity to enzyme active sites. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for constructing bioactive molecules due to the presence of both aldehyde and hydroxypiperidine functionalities, enabling diverse derivatization pathways such as reductive amination and nucleophilic addition. Also utilized in the preparation of receptor modulators affecting central nervous system disorders.