Used in the synthesis of pharmaceutical intermediates, particularly in the development of cardiovascular and central nervous system drugs. Its structural features make it valuable in creating chiral building blocks for active pharmaceutical ingredients. Commonly employed in research settings for designing analogs of bioactive molecules, especially those involving substituted phenylpropanoic frameworks. Also utilized in the preparation of anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive agents due to its ability to influence metabolic stability and receptor binding when incorporated into larger molecules.