“…TGF‐β type I receptor (TβRI) phosphorylates TGF‐β receptor‐activated Smads (R‐Smads), Smad2 and Smad3, which form heteromeric complexes with the common Smad, Smad4, to translocate into the nuclei, where they regulate the target gene transcription (Massague et al, ). Activin receptor‐like kinase5 (ALK5) inhibitors are the small molecule inhibitors, which block phosphorylation of R‐Smads by occupying the ATP binding site of TβRI domain (Jin et al, ). On the basis of a selective, imidazole‐based ALK5 inhibitor, 4‐(4‐(benzo[ d ][1,3]dioxol‐5‐yl)‐5‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)‐1 H ‐imidazol‐2‐yl)benzamide, SB‐431542 (Callahan et al, ) as a lead compound, we designed and synthesized an orally bioavailable ALK5 inhibitor, N ‐((4‐([1,2,4]triazolo[1,5‐ a ]pyridin‐6‐yl)‐5‐(6‐methylpyridin‐2‐yl)‐1 H ‐imidazol‐2‐yl)methyl)‐2‐fluoroaniline, EW‐7197 (Kim et al, ).…”