Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical agents, particularly in the development of neuroactive compounds. Its rigid bicyclic structure makes it valuable in medicinal chemistry for mimicking peptide conformations, enhancing metabolic stability, and improving receptor selectivity. Commonly employed in the design of glutamate receptor modulators, especially targeting metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), which are implicated in neurological disorders such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, and neurodegenerative diseases. The tert-butyl ester group aids in improving lipophilicity and cell membrane permeability during drug development, and can be removed selectively to yield active metabolites. Also utilized in asymmetric synthesis and chiral ligand design due to its defined stereochemistry.