Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors and antiviral agents. Its hydroxyl and amino functional groups allow for versatile chemical modifications, making it valuable in asymmetric synthesis. The compound is also employed in the preparation of enzyme inhibitors and bioactive molecules where stereochemistry plays a critical role in biological activity. Commonly utilized in medicinal chemistry for structure-activity relationship studies due to its rigid backbone and defined stereoconfiguration.