Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors and other biologically active peptides. Its Boc-protected amine and carboxylic acid functionality allow for selective coupling in peptide chain elongation, while the cyclohexyl group provides steric bulk and lipophilicity, enhancing binding selectivity and metabolic stability. Commonly employed in solid-phase and solution-phase peptide synthesis for drug discovery targeting enzymes such as HIV protease or hepatitis C virus NS3/4A protease.