Used primarily as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, especially in the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) requiring stereochemical control. Its ester functionality allows for easy manipulation in multi-step organic syntheses, making it valuable in creating alpha-amino acids and derivatives. Commonly employed in the development of central nervous system agents and cardiovascular drugs due to its ability to enhance metabolic stability and bioavailability in final drug compounds. Also utilized in asymmetric synthesis to introduce chirality, improving the selectivity and potency of medicinal molecules.