Used as a chiral intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the production of fluorinated analogs of bioactive molecules. Its hydroxy acid functionality and stereochemistry make it valuable for constructing complex drug scaffolds, especially in antifungal and anti-inflammatory agents. The fluorophenyl group enhances metabolic stability and membrane permeability, making derivatives useful in medicinal chemistry. Also employed in asymmetric synthesis to introduce fluorinated motifs with high enantioselectivity.