BackgroundCeftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI) is a novel antibiotic that has been confirmed in the United States and China for use in patients with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) bloodstream infection (BSI). However, the cost-effectiveness of CAZ-AVI is unknown in China. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of CAZ-AVI compared to polymyxin B (PMB) monotherapy or PMB-based therapy for the treatment of CRKP BSI from the Chinese healthcare perspective. MethodsA hybrid decision tree and Markov model were constructed for a hypothetical cohort of patients with CRKP BSI. The time horizon of the Markov model was 5 years with an annual discount rate of 5% used in both costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). The model data was derived from published literature and publicly available database. Regimens with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) lower than the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $ 11,600 per QALY were considered cost-effective. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to examine the robustness of model analysis. ResultsIn the base-analysis, CAZ-AVI provided an additional 60 QALYs and reduced the cost by $ 2,218,300, yielding an ICER of $ -36,730.9/QALY, well below the WTP threshold of $ 11,600 per QALY when compared with PMB-based therapy. CAZ-AVI provided an additional 350 QALYs and increased the cost of $ 208,400, producing an ICER of $ 591.7/QALY that was below the WTP threshold compared to PMB monotherapy. At a $ 11,600/QALY threshold, results were sensitive to the cost of PMB-based strategy, the cost of CAZ-AVI strategy, the probability of cure with CAZ-AVI, and the probability of cure with PMB or PMB-based therapy. CAZ-AVI was an optimal regimen in 76.9% and 80.8% of 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations at $ 11,600/QALY and $ 34,800/QALY, respectively. Meanwhile, CAZ-AVI was cost-effective at the WTP thresholds of all 31 Chinese provinces in 61.4% (Gansu) to 83.1% (Beijing) of simulations. ConclusionsCeftazidime-avibactam is expected to be a cost-effective treatment compared with PMB monotherapy or PMB-based therapy for CRKP BSI from the Chinese healthcare perspective.