Sept 9 (Reuters) - Cassava Sciences ( SAVA ) has named

Richard Barry as CEO, the biotech firm said on Monday,

concluding its nearly two-month long search for its top

executive.

The company also appointed Claude Nicaise as chairman,

saying it was separating the positions of CEO and chairman.

WHY ITS IMPORTANT

Cassava's former CEO Remi Barbier resigned weeks after a

medical professor linked to the company was accused of

fabricating data and charged with fraud regarding research into

a drug to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Cassava listed Hoau-Yan Wang as a consultant at the time,

but the company has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

The company appointed Richard Barry as its interim CEO after

Barbier's resignation.

CONTEXT

According to Cassava's website, Wang was a former paid

science advisor to the company and was previously listed as the

co-lead scientist on discovery & development of Cassava's

Alzheimer's drug simufilam.

Cassava said in July that it will form a committee to

evaluate new probes by U.S. regulators and investigate two

senior employees.

WHAT'S NEXT

The company is expected to report results from its first

late-stage trial testing its Alzheimer's disease therapy,

simufilam, in 804 patients by end of this year.