I found this......

In Europe, BG12 is the same drug compound as "Fumaderm" which is sold to people with bad cases of Psoriasis. Fumaderm is made by a Swiss company named Fumapharma AG. Biogen bought the rights to sell Fumaderm as an MS drug.

Fumaderm is Dimethyl Fumarate, or Fumaric Acid Esters, which are derived from Fumaric Acid, which is made by the cells in our bodies when exposed to sunlight. It is believed there is some type of defect in Psoriasis sufferers in that they don't produce Fumaric Acid easily.

Fumaric Acid has long been used as a Psoriasis treatment by dermatologists and the side-effects are pretty much the same as BG12.

Dimethyl Fumarate is also being explored as a treatment for other autoimmune diseases besides MS and Psoriasis, like Lupus.

Malic Acid is a pre-cursor to Fumaric Acid in the Citric Acid Cycle. If you take too much Malic Acid you get similiar side effects to Fumaric Acid and BG12 (flushing, gastro pain, etc.)

Malic Acid has been shown to reduce fatigue and pain in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients.

Malic Acid is found in fruits, especially apples. Apples have long been known as good for your skin and oral health. Toothpaste and cosmetics often contain Malic Acid.

Apple Cider Vinegar is a home remedy for Psoriasis, as well as other autoimmune diseases, including MS.

So, while you wait for BG12, you may want to consider taking Malic Acid a couple times a day as it looks like it will help with MS symptoms and progression like BG12 without the potentially harsher side effects.

The other question is why does BG12, Fumaric Acid, Dimethyl Fumarate, Malic Acid, work the way it does for autoimmune diseases?

It seems that they are critical to producing energy in the form of Endorphins. Endorphins are hormones that besides reducing pain and increasing pleasure, are known to regulate T-cell activity in the immune system. In MS there seems to be a T-cell imbalance where our myelin is getting attacked. Two ways to get Endorphins are from direct sunlight and exercise - both usually recommended by neurologists for MSers.

MS, Psoriasis, other autoimmune diseases, are most often found in regions of the world where people either don't get much direct sunshine on their skin or have a diet lacking in vitamin D.

Spices also seem to exert a protective effect on MS as demonstrated by the current research being done on Curcumin, Cinnamon and Saffron. People who live in parts of the world where they eat a lot of spices have very low rates of autoimmune disease. They also typically eat lower fat diets and get more direct sunlight on their skin.

I wouldn't be surprised if they ate more fruits which contain Malic Acid.

Endorphins also explain why Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) works well for MS as well as other autoimmune diseases, like Psoriasis. LDN causes over-production of endorphins by the pituitary gland by 2-300% the day after you take it and most people with MS who take LDN experience reduced fatigue and pain.

It all seems to come down to that endorphins play an essential role in protecting the human body from disease and aging.