Used in pharmaceutical synthesis as a chiral building block for developing bioactive molecules, particularly in the production of antidepressants and other central nervous system agents. Its structural features make it valuable for enhancing metabolic stability and binding affinity in drug candidates. Commonly employed in asymmetric synthesis due to the presence of both amine and alcohol functional groups in a stereochemically defined arrangement. Also utilized in the preparation of fluorinated analogs to improve pharmacokinetic properties such as membrane permeability and resistance to oxidative degradation.