Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical agents, particularly in the development of kinase inhibitors for targeted cancer therapies. Its structure supports binding to specific enzyme active sites, enhancing selectivity and potency. Also employed in research for designing novel anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective compounds due to its ability to modulate cellular signaling pathways. The nitrile and hydroxymethyl functional groups allow further chemical modifications, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for structure-activity relationship studies.