Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) where stereochemistry plays a critical role in biological activity. Its structure serves as a key intermediate in the production of certain central nervous system agents and anticancer drugs. The hydrochloride salt form enhances stability and solubility, making it suitable for use in various reaction conditions during multi-step organic syntheses. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies due to its conformational flexibility and hydrogen bonding capability.