Used as a key chiral intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly the S-enantiomer in the development of centrally acting agents such as opioid receptor modulators. Its Boc-protected piperidine nitrogen allows for selective reactions at the 3-(methylamino) group in multi-step syntheses, making it valuable in creating structurally complex drug candidates with defined stereochemistry. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for building piperidine-based scaffolds found in bioactive molecules.