A water-soluble prodrug of ceftobiprole, a pyrrolidinone cephalosporin antibiotic, with bactericidal activity. Ceftobiprole binds to and inactivates penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), enzymes involved in the terminal stages of bacterial cell wall assembly and cell wall reshaping during bacterial growth and division. This agent exhibits a broad spectrum of activity against gram-negative and gram-positive pathogens including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA). Ceftobiprole is refractory to hydrolysis by class A and class C lactamases.