A<unk>  is an antiviral preparation that reduces the replication rate and pathogenesis of a particular viral infectious disease. A<unk>  is typically a biological agent (i.e., nucleic acid) engineered from portions of the viral genome being targeted. The agent competes with the pathogen within an infected cell for critical viral replication resources, reducing the viral replication rate and resulting in reduced pathogenesis. Given this mechanism of action,<unk> s exhibit high barriers to the evolution of antiviral resistance. and are predicted to be resistance proof. Intervention with<unk> s can be prophylactic (to prevent or ameliorate the effects of a future infection), or a single-administration<unk>  (to fight a disease that has already occurred, such as COVID-19). The theoretical concept and formal definition of a<unk>  were first proposed for HIV based upon mathematical models of the mechanism of action but the first successful demonstration of a<unk>  was for SARS-CoV-2
Therapeutic interfering particle
Biological response modifier
Immune complex
Immunotoxin
Microantibody
Monoclonal antibody
Precipitin
C1-inhibitor