Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors and other biologically active compounds. Its protected amine and ester functional groups make it valuable in peptide-like backbone construction, where stereochemical control is critical. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies due to its rigid cyclopentane scaffold. Also utilized in asymmetric synthesis and chiral pool strategies for designing drug candidates with improved metabolic stability and selectivity.