Tetrahydro-2-furoic acid is a useful pharmaceutical intermediate relevant to the production of several drugs, including Terazosin for the treatment of prostate enlargement and hypertension.

[5] Enantioselective heterogeneous hydrogenation of furoic acid to chiral tetrahydro-2-furoic acid proceeds in the presence of cinchonidine-modified alumina supported palladium catalyst in 95% yield and 32% enantiomeric excess.

[6] Similarly, homogeneous hydrogenation to chiral tetrahydro-2-furoic acid proceeds quantitatively with 24-27% enantiomeric excess in methanol solution employing a chiral, ferrocene-phosphine catalyst.

[7] Reaction of tetrahydro-2-furoic acid with the hydrochloride salt of 3-[(4-amino-6,7-dimethoxy-2-quinazolinyl)methylamino]-propanenitrile provided alfuzosin, a drug for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

[8] A key intermediate to faropenem, an antibiotic for the treatment of acute bacterial sinusitis, chronic bronchitis and pneumonia has been prepared from tetrahydro-2-furoic acid via a process including chiral resolution and chlorination.