Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for central nervous system (CNS) drugs. It serves as a building block in the production of analgesics and psychiatric medications due to its structural similarity to bioactive piperidine alkaloids. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies to optimize drug potency and selectivity. Also utilized in the preparation of chiral ligands and catalysts for asymmetric synthesis in research laboratories.