One of the primary impediments to successful drug R&D is the frequent failure of successfully translating positive results obtained in animal models to human disease. To a large degree, this discrepancy is secondary to the substantial biological differences between species. Non-human primate models have the advantage of significant physiological, metabolic, biochemical and genetic similarity to humans. Despite this advantage, there has been a relative paucity of non-human primate models used in the study of disease states that currently underlie the most common causes of morbidity and mortality, such as chronic myocardial ischemia leading to heart failure. This review describes a primate model of heart failure that closely mimics the cardiomyopathic process observed in humans. The primary advantage of this non-human primate model is that, unlike existing heart failure models, it allows for continuous study during progressive stages of heart failure, including myocardial ischemia, progressive left ventricular remodeling and end-stage congestive heart failure. In addition to this model of heart failure, other non-human primate models for cardiovascular drug R&D are also reviewed.