Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds, particularly in the development of beta-lactam antibiotics and other bioactive molecules. Its structure allows for selective functionalization, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for constructing complex heterocyclic systems. Commonly employed in solid-phase and solution-phase peptide-like synthesis due to the stability and ease of deprotection of the Boc (tert-butoxycarbonyl) group. Also utilized in the preparation of enzyme inhibitors and receptor modulators where azetidine carboxylic acid derivatives play a key role in enhancing metabolic stability and binding affinity.