Faropenem demonstrated low MICs (< or = 1 microg/ml) for all penicillin-susceptible and nonsusceptible pneumococci and exhibited very strong abilities to bind to Streptococcus pneumoniae penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), except for PBP2X. The lower faropenem affinity for PBP2X did not affect MICs for any strains tested, and only imipenem had lower MICs, with much lower binding affinities for all PBPs tested, than faropenem.