Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the production of opioid analgesics. Its chiral structure makes it valuable for creating enantiomerically pure drugs, where the (S)-configuration contributes to desired biological activity. Commonly employed in research settings to develop new pain management medications and in the optimization of synthetic routes for complex organic molecules. Also utilized in asymmetric synthesis due to the presence of the hydroxy and methoxy functional groups, which can be further modified.