Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of enzyme inhibitors and bioactive molecules. Its trifluoromethyl group enhances metabolic stability and lipophilicity, making it valuable in drug design. The hydroxyl and carboxylic acid functionalities allow for further chemical modifications, enabling its incorporation into complex organic structures. Commonly employed in asymmetric synthesis due to its stereochemical purity, it helps control the three-dimensional configuration of target compounds, which is critical for biological activity in medicinal chemistry.