Immunomodulators

1. A compound of formula (I)

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein:

A is

wherein:

denotes the point of attachment to the carbonyl group and denotes the point of attachment to the nitrogen atom;

m is 1;

w is 0;

R 14 and R 15 are hydrogen;

R 16a is hydrogen;

R 16 is —(C(R 17a ) 2 ) 2 )—X—R 30 ,

X is a chain of between 8 and 46 atoms wherein the atoms are selected from carbon and oxygen and wherein the chain may contain one, two, or three C(O)NH groups embedded therein; and wherein the chain is optionally substituted with one or two groups independently selected from —CO 2 H, —C(O)NH 2 , —CH 2 C(O)NH 2 , and —CH 2 CO 2 H;

R 30 is selected from —CO 2 H, —C(O)NR w R x , and —CH 3 wherein R w and R x are hydrogen, provided that when X is all carbon, R 30 is other than —CH 3 ;

each R 17a is hydrogen,

each of R c , R f , R h , R i , R m , and R n is hydrogen;

R a , R e , R j , and R k , are each independently selected from hydrogen and methyl;

R l is methyl;

R 1 is phenylC 1 -C 3 alkyl wherein the phenyl part is optionally substituted with hydroxyl, halo, or methoxy;

R 2 is C 1 -C 7 alkyl and R b is methyl; or, R 2 and R b , together with the atoms to which they are attached, form a piperidine ring;

R 3 is NR x R y (C 1 -C 7 alkyl), NR u R v carbonylC 1 -C 3 alkyl, or carboxyC 1 -C 3 alkyl;

R 4 and R d , together with the atoms to which they are attached, form a pyrrolidine ring;

R 5 is hydroxyC 1 -C 3 alkyl, imidazolylC 1 -C 3 alkyl, or NR x R y (C 1 -C 7 alkyl);

R 6 is carboxyC 1 -C 3 alkyl, NR u R v carbonylC 1 -C 3 alkyl, NR x R y (C 1 -C 7 alkyl), or C 1 -C 7 alkyl;

R 7 and R g , together with the atoms to which they are attached, form a pyrrolidine ring optionally substituted with hydroxy;

R 8 and R 10 are benzothienyl or indolylC 1 -C 3 alkyl optionally substituted with carboxyC 1 -C 3 alkyl;

R 9 is hydroxyC 1 -C 3 alkyl, aminoC 1 -C 3 alkyl, or C 1 -C 7 alkyl;

R 11 is C 1 -C 3 alkoxyC 1 -C 3 alkyl C 3 alkoxyC 1 -C 3 alkyl or C 1 -C 7 alkyl;

R 12 is C 1 -C 7 alkyl C 7 alkyl or hydroxyC 1 -C 3 alkyl; and

R 13 is C 1 -C 7 alkyl, carboxyC 1 -C 3 alkyl, or —(CH 2 ) 3 NHC(NH)NH 2 .

2. A compound selected from

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

3. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

4. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound of claim 2 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.