Peter A. Foley

Peter A. Foley

MBBS, BMedSc; MD; Fellowship (FACD)

Dermatologist

Overall 38 years of Experience

Male📍 Melbourne

About of Peter A. Foley

Peter A. Foley is a dermatologist based in Melbourne, working out of St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne in VIC, Australia.


Dermatology can feel like a broad word, but most of the time people come in with skin problems that affect daily life. Peter looks after conditions that involve ongoing rashes, itch, redness and skin changes, as well as hair and nail issues in some cases. Over time, he has helped patients with things like eczema and atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and some more long-lasting skin conditions that need careful follow-up.


Skin can also show early signs of sun damage, and that’s another common reason people book in. Peter supports patients with issues such as actinic keratosis, and he also helps monitor and manage skin cancers like basal cell skin cancer and squamous cell skin cancer. Melanoma and other serious skin concerns are handled with the same steady approach: clear advice, practical next steps, and watching how things change over time.


Some patients also have rare or complex skin reactions. In many cases this means work that links skin symptoms with the wider health picture, including conditions that can affect the eyes or cause strong inflammation. At times, this also includes people dealing with severe reactions, recurring flare-ups, and skin infections. He’ll take the history seriously and explain what’s going on in plain language, not medical jargon.


Peter has 38 years of experience overall. That kind of time matters, because skin problems can change, and treatment plans often need adjusting as you go. He works in a calm, down-to-earth way, focusing on what helps most for the person in front of him.


For training, Peter holds an MBBS and BMedSc from Monash University (1987), and he completed an MD at the University of Melbourne (1990). He also gained a Fellowship of the Australasian College of Dermatologists (FACD) through the Australasian College of Dermatologists in 1997.


Peter also stays involved in research. He has publication experience, and he has been linked to clinical trials. That helps him keep up with new thinking, while still keeping care practical and grounded for everyday life.

Education

  • Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Medical Science (BMedSc); Monash University, 1987
  • MD (Doctor of Medicine); University of Melbourne; 1990
  • Fellowship of the Australasian College of Dermatologists (FACD); Australasian College of Dermatologists; 1997

Services & Conditions Treated

Atopic DermatitisPlaque PsoriasisPsoriasisActinic KeratosisPityriasis Rubra PilarisAlopecia AreataAutosomal Recessive HypotrichosisPsoriatic ArthritisPustular PsoriasisSquamous Cell Skin CarcinomaArthritisBasal Cell Skin CancerDRESS SyndromeErythema MultiformeFolliculitisGeneralized Pustular Psoriasis (GPP)Hidradenitis SuppurativaHivesMelanomaMolluscum ContagiosumNecrosisParonychiaPityriasis RoseaPneumoniaPustulesRosaceaSevere Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)ShinglesStevens-Johnson SyndromeUveitis

Publications

5 total
Wolf's Isotopic Response: A Rare Case of Terra Firma-Forme Dermatosis on Resolved Psoriatic Plaques.

The Australasian journal of dermatology • February 24, 2025

Conor Larney, Peter Foley, Senhong Lee

Terra firma-forme dermatosis is a benign condition characterised by asymptomatic hyperkeratotic, dark papules or plaques. The diagnosis may be confirmed by firmly rubbing the lesions with 70% isopropyl alcohol, resulting in resolution of the lesions. Wolf's isotopic response refers to the development of a new dermatosis in the same location that a previous, healed, unrelated skin condition occupied. We report the case of a patient developing Terra firma-forme dermatosis at the site of resolved psoriatic plaques.

Consensus on the Use of JAKinibs for Atopic Dermatitis in Australia and New Zealand. An eDelphi by the Australasian Medical Dermatology Group.

The Australasian Journal Of Dermatology • March 14, 2025

Marius Rademaker, Peter Foley, Katherine Armour, Christopher Baker, Kurt Gebauer, Monisha Gupta, Patrick Ireland, Harriet Kennedy, Gillian Marshman, Erin Mcmeniman, Diana Rubel, Diana Slape, John Sullivan, Matthew Verheyden, Li-chuen Wong

With its chronicity and varied symptomatology, moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) remains a significant challenge for both patients and health care professionals. Novel targeted therapies, including the JAK inhibitors (JAKi) offer significant hope. There are many systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the use of JAKi for the management of atopic dermatitis, but few offer practical advice for the clinician. The aim of this consensus development was to place the current literature for JAKi use in atopic dermatitis within the clinical context of practice in Australasia. The Australasian Medical Dermatology Group (AMDG) reviewed the evidence for the use of JAKi in the management landscape of atopic dermatitis, adding in their cumulative experience, and used an eDelphi process to agree on best practice. In the first round of 133 eDelphi clinical practice statements, consensus was achieved in 117 (88%-complete 27.8%, close 60.1%), with no consensus in 16 (12.0%) of the statements. The 16 clinical practice statements that did not reach consensus were reviewed and revised to 15 statements and then subjected to a second round: complete consensus was achieved in 5/15 statements, close consensus in 6/15, and no consensus in 4/15. Over the two eDelphi rounds, consensus was achieved in 128/132 (97%-complete 32%, close 64%) and no consensus in 4/132 (3%). Statements regarding screening for prior varicella infection, age-appropriate cancer screening intervals, and management of flares did not reach full consensus. This study highlights areas where further research is needed to assist practicing dermatologists in safe prescribing and management of atopic dermatitis with JAK inhibitors.

Real World Side-Effects of Dupilumab: A Narrative Review.

The Australasian Journal Of Dermatology • April 12, 2025

Conor Larney, Peter Foley, Jason Wu, Benjamin Daniel

Real-world use of dupilumab has unveiled a spectrum of side effects that were not fully appreciated in initial clinical trials. While dupilumab remains a highly effective treatment for atopic dermatitis, clinicians must be aware of real-world adverse effects including ocular complications, inflammatory arthritis, psoriasiform eruptions and head and neck dermatitis; as well as reported associations including cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, alopecia areata, vitiligo and weight gain.

Guselkumab Efficacy by Psoriasis Disease Severity and Treatment History: VOYAGE 1 and 2 Post Hoc Analyses.

Journal Of Drugs In Dermatology : JDD • February 06, 2025

Kenneth B Gordon, Joseph F Merola, Peter Foley, Olivia Choi, Daphne Chan, Megan Miller, Yin You, Yaung-kaung Shen, Hetal V Patel, Andrew Blauvelt

Background: The pivotal Phase 3 VOYAGE 1 and VOYAGE 2 studies established the robust efficacy and safety of guselkumab for up to 5 years in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Here, the long-term efficacy of guselkumab by baseline disease severity and treatment history was analyzed using pooled data from the VOYAGE studies. Methods: Patients were randomized to guselkumab 100 mg every 8 weeks, placebo with week 16 crossover to guselkumab, or adalimumab with week 52 crossover to guselkumab (VOYAGE 1) or week 28-76 randomized withdrawal/re-treatment (VOYAGE 2); all patients then received open-label guselkumab through week 252. These post hoc analyses evaluated the Investigator’s Global Assessment of cleared/minimal (IGA 0/1) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 90 responses from week 100-252 by baseline PASI (<20/≥20), IGA (=3/=4), body surface area (BSA; <20%/≥20%), and prior psoriasis treatments. Analyses used observed data after applying treatment failure rules. Results: At all assessment timepoints from weeks 100-252, response rates were similar by baseline PASI <20 vs ≥20 (IGA 0/1: 82.0%-85.4% vs 81.1%-81.4%; PASI 90: 78.6%-81.1% vs 81.4%-83.8%), IGA=3 vs =4 (IGA 0/1: 82.7%-85.4% vs 77.6%-79.0%; PASI 90: 79.1%-82.7% vs 79.7%-82.9%), BSA <20% vs ≥20% (IGA 0/1: 82.5%-86.2% vs 81.1%-82.6%; PASI 90: 80.4%-82.7% vs 79.1%-82.0%), prior phototherapy no vs yes (IGA 0/1: 81.7%-84.3% vs 81.5%-83.8%; PASI 90: 82.2%-84.0% vs 77.5%-81.1%), prior nonbiologic use no vs yes (IGA 0/1: 81.1%-84.5% vs 81.9%-84.1%; PASI 90: 80.9%-83.0% vs 79.0%-82.0%), and prior biologic use no vs yes (IGA 0/1: 83.2%-85.3% vs 75.3%-79.5%; PASI 90: 82.2%-83.8% vs 71.2%-76.3%). Conclusions: Durable guselkumab efficacy was sustained through 5 years of treatment among patient subpopulations irrespective of baseline disease severity or prior treatment history. J Drugs Dermatol. 2025;24(2):196-202. doi:10.36849/JDD.8344.

Eight-Year Experience of Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitors at Three Tertiary Referral Centres in the Australian State of Victoria.

The Australasian Journal Of Dermatology • February 04, 2025

Christian Gan, Nicholas Manuelpillai, Peter Foley, Christopher Mccormack, Michelle Goh

This retrospective analysis of Hedgehog inhibitor treatment in 32 patients with Gorlin syndrome, locally advanced and metastatic basal cell carcinoma (BCC) at three tertiary referral centres in Victoria, Australia from April 2017 until 30 June 2024 demonstrated an 84% overall objective response rate (partial and complete response combined). However, 90% of patients experienced adverse effects impacting quality of life. Secondary acquired drug resistance occurred in 77% (10/13) of locally advanced and metastatic BCC patients after a median duration of 13 months. Further work is needed to optimise the neoadjuvant use of Hedgehog inhibitors with radiotherapy or surgery given poor long-term Hedgehog inhibitor tolerability and to develop strategies to counteract the issue of acquired resistance.

Clinical Trials

5 total

A Long-term Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Lebrikizumab in Patients With Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis (ADjoin)

Active_not_recruitingPhase 3Lebrikizumab

This is designed to assess the long-term safety and efficacy of lebrikizumab for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. It will last up to 33 months.

Participants: 1153

A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo- Controlled, Phase 3 Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Baricitinib in Adult Patients With Severe or Very Severe Alopecia Areata

CompletedPhase 3Baricitinib

The reason for this study is to see if baricitinib is safe and effective in adults with severe or very severe alopecia areata (AA).

Participants: 546

A Phase 3 Multicenter, Double-Blind Study to Evaluate the Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Baricitinib in Adult Patients With Atopic Dermatitis

CompletedPhase 3Baricitinib

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of baricitinib in participants with atopic dermatitis. Participants were enrolled in this study from the originating studies (JAHL, JAHM, JAIY) or were directly enrolled in the open-label arm.

Participants: 1645

A Multicenter, Long-Term Extension to Evaluate the Long-term Safety and Maintenance of Treatment Effect of LY3074828 in Patients With Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis OASIS-3

TerminatedPhase 3Mirikizumab

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term safety and maintenance of efficacy of mirikizumab in participants with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

Participants: 1936

A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Lebrikizumab in Patients With Moderate to Severe Atopic Dermatitis

CompletedPhase 3Lebrikizumab

This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study which is 52 weeks in duration. The study is designed to confirm the safety and efficacy of lebrikizumab as monotherapy for treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis utilizing a 16-week induction treatment period and a 36-week long-term maintenance treatment period.

Participants: 424

Frequently Asked Questions

What services does Dr Peter A. Foley offer?
Dr Peter A. Foley provides a range of dermatology services including treatment for atopic dermatitis, plaque psoriasis, other psoriasis types, actinic keratosis, hair and scalp conditions like alopecia areata, hidradenitis suppurativa, rosacea, eczema, pustular conditions, various skin cancers (basal cell and squamous cell), melanoma, and other common skin issues.
Where is Dr Foley based and who does he work with?
Dr Foley practices in Melbourne, at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
How many years of experience does Dr Foley have?
Dr Foley has about 38 years of experience in dermatology.
What conditions does he treat?
He treats a wide range of skin conditions and related issues, including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis (including plaque and generalized pustular psoriasis), actinic keratosis, skin cancers (basal cell and squamous cell), melanoma, shingles, rosacea, hives, eczema, and hair/ scalp problems like alopecia areata.
What should I expect when booking an appointment with Dr Foley?
Appointments are arranged through the Melbourne practice location. If you’re unsure how to book, contact the clinic for guidance on availability and what information to bring to your visit.
Is Dr Foley a dermatologist and what qualifications does he have?
Yes. He is a dermatologist with MBBS, BMedSc, MD, and Fellowship of the Australasian College of Dermatologists (FACD).

Contact Information

St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

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Memberships

  • International Society for Photodynamic Therapy in Dermatology
  • Clinical Photodynamics in Dermatology
  • International Psoriasis Council
  • Photomedicine Society
  • Skin & Cancer Foundation