Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of bioactive molecules requiring stereochemical control. Its functional groups—amine and hydroxyl—allow for selective derivatization, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for constructing complex organic compounds. Commonly employed in the preparation of enzyme inhibitors and receptor modulators due to its structural similarity to natural amino alcohols. Also utilized in asymmetric synthesis as a precursor to catalysts or ligands in enantioselective reactions.