Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical agents, particularly in the development of central nervous system (CNS) active compounds. Its structure supports the creation of chiral building blocks for drug candidates targeting neurological disorders. It is also employed in the preparation of pyrrolidine-based receptor modulators, including those investigated for antidepressant or antipsychotic activity. The nitrile group allows further functionalization, enabling diverse derivatization for structure-activity relationship studies in medicinal chemistry.