Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that require chiral piperidine scaffolds. Its protected amine group allows for selective reactions in multi-step syntheses, making it valuable in creating drugs targeting central nervous system disorders, such as antidepressants and antipsychotics. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies due to its stereochemical purity and functional group compatibility.