Heart rate reduction is the cornerstone of the treatment of angina. To date, β-blockers have been the best drugs with which to achieve this. Heart rate is set by the pacemaker cells in the sinus node. Specific cardiac ion channels, f-channels, have been identified that control the rate at which these pacemaker cells initiate cardiac contraction. A selective and specific f-channel (f) current inhibitor, ivabradine, has now been developed that reduces heart rate to a degree similar to that achieved with β-blockers, but without their side effects. Ivabradine is now available for clinical use and promises to be a major and exciting treatment for individuals with angina.