A compound according to the formula: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein: ring A is phenyl, pyridinyl, or pyrimidinyl; ring B is (C 5-6 )cycloalkyl, cyclohexenyl, or a 5- or 6-membered heterocycloalkyl containing 1 O ring atom, wherein ring B forms a spiro ring system with the adjoining piperidinyl ring; each R 1 is halo, (C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl, hydroxy(C 1-6 )alkyl, (C 1-6 )alkoxy, halo(C 1-6 )alkoxy, (C 1-2 )alkoxy-(C 1-6 )alkoxy, (C 1-6 )alkyl-S-, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl-S nitro, (C 3-7 )cycloalkyl-O-, cyano, hydroxy, (C 1-6 )alkylC(O)-, ((C 1-6 )alkyl) 2 N-, phenyl, 5- or 6-membered heteroaryloxy ring, containing 1-3 O, N, and S ring atoms, wherein phenyl and heteroaryloxy are optionally substituted by 1 to 3 (C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl, or halo; or alternatively two R 1 groups are linked together with the carbon to which they are both attached to form a 5-6 membered monocyclic heterocyclic ring, containing 1-3 O, N, and S ring atoms, wherein the heterocyclic ring is optionally substituted by 1-3 (C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl groups or halo; each R 2 and R 3 are independently (C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl, (C 1-6 )alkoxy, halo(C 1-6 )alkoxy, hydroxyl, or halo; R 4 and R 5 are independently hydrogen, (C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl, or halo; R 6 is COOH, tetrazolyl, -(C 1-3 )alkylCOOH, (C 1-4 )alkylNH 2 , or (C 1-4 )alkylOH; k is 0, 1, 2, or 3; m is 0, 1, 2, or 3; and n is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein formula I includes all isotopic variations. ring A is phenyl, pyridinyl, or pyrimidinyl; ring B is (C 5-6 )cycloalkyl, cyclohexenyl, or a 5- or 6-membered heterocycloalkyl containing 1 O ring atom, wherein ring B forms a spiro ring system with the adjoining piperidinyl ring; each R 1 is halo, (C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl, hydroxy(C 1-6 )alkyl, (C 1-6 )alkoxy, halo(C 1-6 )alkoxy, (C 1-2 )alkoxy-(C 1-6 )alkoxy, (C 1-6 )alkyl-S-, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl-S nitro, (C 3-7 )cycloalkyl-O-, cyano, hydroxy, (C 1-6 )alkylC(O)-, ((C 1-6 )alkyl) 2 N-, phenyl, 5- or 6-membered heteroaryloxy ring, containing 1-3 O, N, and S ring atoms, wherein phenyl and heteroaryloxy are optionally substituted by 1 to 3 (C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl, or halo; halo, (C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl, hydroxy(C 1-6 )alkyl, (C 1-6 )alkoxy, halo(C 1-6 )alkoxy, (C 1-2 )alkoxy-(C 1-6 )alkoxy, (C 1-6 )alkyl-S-, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl-S nitro, (C 3-7 )cycloalkyl-O-, cyano, hydroxy, (C 1-6 )alkylC(O)-, ((C 1-6 )alkyl) 2 N-, phenyl, 5- or 6-membered heteroaryloxy ring, containing 1-3 O, N, and S ring atoms, wherein phenyl and heteroaryloxy are optionally substituted by 1 to 3 (C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl, or halo; or alternatively two R 1 groups are linked together with the carbon to which they are both attached to form a 5-6 membered monocyclic heterocyclic ring, containing 1-3 O, N, and S ring atoms, wherein the heterocyclic ring is optionally substituted by 1-3 (C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl groups or halo; each R 2 and R 3 are independently (C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl, (C 1-6 )alkoxy, halo(C 1-6 )alkoxy, hydroxyl, or halo; (C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl, (C 1-6 )alkoxy, halo(C 1-6 )alkoxy, hydroxyl, or halo; R 4 and R 5 are independently hydrogen, (C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl, or halo; hydrogen, (C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl, or halo; R 6 is COOH, tetrazolyl, -(C 1-3 )alkylCOOH, (C 1-4 )alkylNH 2 , or (C 1-4 )alkylOH; COOH, tetrazolyl, -(C 1-3 )alkylCOOH, (C 1-4 )alkylNH 2 , or (C 1-4 )alkylOH; k is 0, 1, 2, or 3; m is 0, 1, 2, or 3; and n is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein formula I includes all isotopic variations. <EOS>