Dermatology

Dr. Jack Weiner, 84, a dermatologist for more than a half-century, died Saturday at Albert Einstein Medical Center. He lived in Jenkintown. Known as "Uncle Jack" to many of his friends, Dr. Weiner began practicing medicine in 1939 and retired just last year. For most of his career, he was associated with Einstein's Department of Dermatology. Dr. Weiner graduated from Temple University, earned a medical degree from Temple's School of Medicine, and then specialized in dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Helen R. Buckley, 67, a professor of dermatology at Temple University's School of Medicine, died Wednesday of cancer of the esophagus at Temple University Hospital. She had lived in Center City. Dr. Buckley conducted research and taught at Temple from 1977 until last September, when she became too ill to continue. Her specialty was mycology, a branch of biology dealing with fungi. Chris D. Platsoucas, chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Temple University Medical School, called her the "most prominent mycologist in the Delaware Valley" and said she made a "number of important contributions" to her field.

Eliminates wrinkles. Removes blemishes. Reduces pore size. Reverses the effects of aging. These are just a sampling of claims in an overwhelming market of skin-care products. Sound too good to be true? Usually, it is. In most cases, the benefits have not been adequately tested, and the claims may be greatly exaggerated, since cosmetics do not go through a U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval process. But this doesn't mean good skin-care products can't be found - and on a budget.

The outpatient dermatology clinic at the Temple University School of Medicine, which serves 6,000 patients, will close its doors June 30, university officials said yesterday. The clinic, known as the Skin & Cancer Hospital, is being shut down because Temple is discontinuing its medical-residency program in dermatology, according to Kevin Moore, the clinic's administrator. Dr. Leon S. Malmud, vice president for health sciences at Temple, said inadequate funding for health-care services by the state and federal government has created a financial pinch at Temple's hospital and medical school and led to the decision to end the dermatology-residency program.

Harry James Hurley Jr., 82, formerly of Newtown Square, a practicing dermatologist for 56 years, died of multiple myeloma Sunday at Wellington at Hershey's Mill. Dr. Hurley opened an office in Upper Darby in 1952 and joined his son Jeffrey in the 1990s in a practice in West Chester. He also maintained an office at Mercy Fitzgerald Medical Center in Darby, where he was on the staff for more than a half-century. He retired when he became ill in October. For many years he was also clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, where he researched the physiology and diseases of the sweat glands and granuloma formations with Walter Shelley.

Bernett L. Johnson Jr., 76, a dermatologist, a retired Navy captain, and an artist, died of duodenal cancer last Friday at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was senior medical officer. Dr. Johnson was also a professor of dermatology and associate dean for diversity and community outreach at the Penn School of Medicine. From 1995 until 2006, he was associate dean for the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Philadelphia, where many of Penn's medical personnel train.

Walter Brown Shelley, 91, a renowned dermatologist whose research over 30 years at the University of Pennsylvania led to the development of anti-itch powder and an effective antiperspirant, died of colorectal cancer Jan. 30 at home in Grand Rapids, Ohio. Dr. Shelley died surrounded by his collection of 30,000 books in his 175-year-old home on a nine-acre farm beside the Maumee River. Although Dr. Shelley was an unusually bright child, he failed the second grade because he talked too much.

Harold E. Pierce Jr., 84, a dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon in Philadelphia for more than half a century, died of lung cancer Oct. 25 in Phoenixville Hospital. He was a longtime resident of Wynnewood. He was born in the Art Museum area, and his mother died when he was 7. His father decided the best situation for his son was to be raised by his paternal grandparents in Bridgeton, N.J. He graduated from Bridgeton High School in 1939 and earned a bachelor's degree in science in 1943 from Lincoln University and a medical degree in 1946 from Howard University.

GlaxoSmithKline P.L.C. said yesterday that it would pay $2.9 billion in cash to buy Florida dermatology business Stiefel Laboratories Inc., the second sizeable deal announced by the London drugmaker in less than a week. Stiefel is a privately owned company based in Coral Gables, Fla., whose products include Duac for acne, Olux E for dermatitis, and Soriatane for severe psoriasis. Stiefel's 2008 sales were about $900 million. London-based GlaxoSmithKline, which employs 4,500 people in the Philadelphia area, reported about $550 million in dermatology sales last year.

Shares of CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals Inc. surged to an eight-year high in heavy trading after the Newtown skin-care company said yesterday that it would be bought for about $420 million by Galderma Laboratories L.P., of Fort Worth, Texas. The U.S. affiliate of Switzerland's Galderma Pharma S.A. will buy CollaGenex for $16.60 a share - a 30 percent premium to the stock's closing price Monday. CollaGenex shares gained 27.58 percent, or $3.53, to close at $16.33. Monday's close was $12.80.

Eliminates wrinkles. Removes blemishes. Reduces pore size. Reverses the effects of aging. These are just a sampling of claims in an overwhelming market of skin-care products. Sound too good to be true? Usually, it is. In most cases, the benefits have not been adequately tested, and the claims may be greatly exaggerated, since cosmetics do not go through a U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval process. But this doesn't mean good skin-care products can't be found - and on a budget.

Joseph S. Harun, 86, of Lower Gwynedd, a physician who helped develop new drugs, died Tuesday, May 17, of heart failure at his home. Dr. Harun opened a dermatology practice in Philadelphia in 1957. Several years later, he left the practice to follow a dream of being involved in the discovery of new medicines. He joined Carter-Wallace, a pharmaceutical firm, where he helped develop penicillamine to treat severe arthritis. In the late 1960s, he joined Ciba-Geigy, where he was involved with the development of new uses for clofazimine.

We may not be seeing a rush of blockbuster acquisitions as 2010 draws to a close, but each December day seems to bring word of a small deal here and there. On Monday, three transactions involved local companies. Just like some of those Christmas gifts you may have tossed into your shopping cart, they were missing price tags. Quinnova Pharmaceuticals Inc. , of Newtown, Bucks County, was acquired by a unit of Amneal Enterprises L.L.C. , a Bridgewater, N.J., maker of generic and specialty pharmaceuticals.

Harry James Hurley Jr., 82, formerly of Newtown Square, a practicing dermatologist for 56 years, died of multiple myeloma Sunday at Wellington at Hershey's Mill. Dr. Hurley opened an office in Upper Darby in 1952 and joined his son Jeffrey in the 1990s in a practice in West Chester. He also maintained an office at Mercy Fitzgerald Medical Center in Darby, where he was on the staff for more than a half-century. He retired when he became ill in October. For many years he was also clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, where he researched the physiology and diseases of the sweat glands and granuloma formations with Walter Shelley.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Dr. Stephen T. Whelan was sitting at his desk, writing a letter home from a military hospital in the Canal Zone. He was officer of the day on that Sunday, so he could not miss the storm of emotion that suddenly swept his base. "When he saw dozens of airmen scrambling to their planes, because of justified fear of imminent attack on the canal," his son Michael said, "that was his first inkling of the Pearl Harbor attack. " Dr. Whelan, 94, a dermatologist, died of multiple organ failure May 8 at Waverly Heights in Gladwyne, the retirement community where he had lived since 2004.

GlaxoSmithKline P.L.C. said yesterday that it would pay $2.9 billion in cash to buy Florida dermatology business Stiefel Laboratories Inc., the second sizeable deal announced by the London drugmaker in less than a week. Stiefel is a privately owned company based in Coral Gables, Fla., whose products include Duac for acne, Olux E for dermatitis, and Soriatane for severe psoriasis. Stiefel's 2008 sales were about $900 million. London-based GlaxoSmithKline, which employs 4,500 people in the Philadelphia area, reported about $550 million in dermatology sales last year.

Bernett L. Johnson Jr., 76, a dermatologist, a retired Navy captain, and an artist, died of duodenal cancer last Friday at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was senior medical officer. Dr. Johnson was also a professor of dermatology and associate dean for diversity and community outreach at the Penn School of Medicine. From 1995 until 2006, he was associate dean for the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Philadelphia, where many of Penn's medical personnel train.

Walter Brown Shelley, 91, a renowned dermatologist whose research over 30 years at the University of Pennsylvania led to the development of anti-itch powder and an effective antiperspirant, died of colorectal cancer Jan. 30 at home in Grand Rapids, Ohio. Dr. Shelley died surrounded by his collection of 30,000 books in his 175-year-old home on a nine-acre farm beside the Maumee River. Although Dr. Shelley was an unusually bright child, he failed the second grade because he talked too much.

Shares of CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals Inc. surged to an eight-year high in heavy trading after the Newtown skin-care company said yesterday that it would be bought for about $420 million by Galderma Laboratories L.P., of Fort Worth, Texas. The U.S. affiliate of Switzerland's Galderma Pharma S.A. will buy CollaGenex for $16.60 a share - a 30 percent premium to the stock's closing price Monday. CollaGenex shares gained 27.58 percent, or $3.53, to close at $16.33. Monday's close was $12.80.

GOODBYE, 2007. Hello, 2008. Now is the time to wipe the slate clean and start anew. But what if that slate is your skin and the thing you want wiped clean is injected into your flesh with indelible ink? The tattoo boom of the early 1990s has given rise to tattoo regret, and an increasing number of hipsters want to get rid of ink that was soooooo last year, studies show. "It's all about growing up and time passing and your life changing," said Dr. Andrew Pollack, director of the Philadelphia Institute of Dermatology.