Faropenem, a new oral beta-lactam agent with a penem structure, was very active against 405 aerobic and anaerobic bite isolates. It inhibited 232 of 236 (98%) aerobic isolates, including all Pasteurella spp. and Eikenella corrodens at less than or equal to0.25 mg/L, and 164/169 (97%) anaerobic isolates, at less than or equal to1 mg/L. The 10 isolates that required greater than or equal to2 mg/L for inhibition were one strain each of Acinetobacter lwoffi, Corynebacterium minutissimum, Bacteroides ovatus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Peptostreptococcus tetradius, plus Corynebacterium 'aquaticum' (two strains) and Veillonella sp. (three strains).