Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the preparation of peptide-like structures and enzyme inhibitors. Its protected amine and keto functionalities allow selective reactions in multi-step organic syntheses. Commonly employed in the development of bioactive molecules where stereochemistry is critical, such as protease inhibitors or metabolic analogs. The benzyl carbamate group provides stability during reactions and can be removed under mild conditions, making it suitable for solid-phase and solution-phase peptide synthesis.