Used in pharmaceutical research as a rigid building block for drug design, particularly in the development of bioisosteres to replace phenyl or other aromatic rings. Its strained bicyclic structure imparts high three-dimensionality, improving solubility and metabolic stability in drug candidates. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for optimizing lead compounds, especially in CNS and protease inhibitor projects. Also utilized in the synthesis of novel analogs where steric control and reduced planarity are desired.