Used in pharmaceutical synthesis as a chiral building block for drugs targeting central nervous system disorders. Its structure supports the development of compounds with activity in depression, anxiety, and neurodegenerative diseases. The presence of both amine and alcohol functional groups allows for versatile chemical modifications, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for creating enantiomerically pure active pharmaceutical ingredients. Also employed in the preparation of enzyme inhibitors and receptor ligands due to its ability to mimic natural neurotransmitters.