Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors and other bioactive molecules. Its aldehyde and protected amine functional groups allow for selective reactions, making it valuable in multi-step organic synthesis. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for constructing peptidomimetics and conformationally constrained analogs to enhance metabolic stability and binding affinity. The cyclohexane ring provides a rigid scaffold that helps control spatial orientation of substituents, improving selectivity in drug design.