Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. Its stereochemistry makes it valuable in asymmetric synthesis, particularly for producing enantiomerically pure compounds. Commonly employed in the preparation of chiral auxiliaries and intermediates for drugs, including beta-blockers and other bioactive molecules. The bromine and hydroxyl functional groups allow for further chemical transformations, such as nucleophilic substitution or oxidation, enabling diverse derivatization pathways.