Perhaps the most effective treatments currently available today deal with the autoimmune component of multiple sclerosis and work by regulating aspects of the immune system. They are known as the "ABC" treatments, where "A" stands for Avonex, "B" stands for Betaseron/Betaferon and "C" stands for Copaxone. Avonex and Betaseron are both varieties of beta interferon. A third drug, Rebif, is also beta interferon. ABCR would be a more accurate acronym though clearly less appealing to those of us with a crossword-solving mentality. Copaxone is a completely different drug altogether - the active ingredient being glatiramer acetate, Co-polymer-1 or COP-1.
