Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors. Its stereochemistry makes it valuable for constructing biologically active molecules with high enantioselectivity. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for structure-activity relationship studies and in the preparation of peptidomimetics. The Boc-protected amine and carboxylic acid functionalities allow for straightforward coupling and deprotection steps in multi-step organic syntheses.