Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceutical intermediates, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors. Its stereochemistry allows for selective reactions in asymmetric synthesis, making it valuable in creating enantiomerically pure drugs. Commonly employed in the preparation of antiviral and anticancer agents where precise spatial arrangement of functional groups is critical for biological activity. The tert-butoxy group acts as a protecting group, facilitating controlled deprotection during multi-step syntheses.