Antimicrobial agents that damage the viral envelope

Antimicrobial agents that damage the viral envelope prevent attachment of the virus to its target cell. Viral envelopes allow the viruses to attach to cells so that they can replicate. Some viruses have viral envelopes covering their protective protein capsids. The envelope are typically derived from portions of the host cell membranes, but include some viral glycoproteins. They may help viruses avoid the host immune system. 

When a virus infects a host cell, it uses the cell's machinery to make copies of its own genetic material in a process called replication. finally, during the process of self-assembly, that protein shell and the copies of the virus's genetic material are assembled into new viruses.