Cancelled flights and hotel rooms have become par for the course during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with less than a month to go until the J.P. Morgan healthcare conference in January, the event organizers have pivoted to a virtual event, triggering another round of cancelled travel plans.
Citing an "abundance of caution," the conference organizers have pulled the plug on the live event, opting instead for a virtual meeting from Jan. 10-13, according to reports.
"The health and safety of our clients and employees is of the utmost importance and given the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, we have made this decision," the investment bank said in an announcement posted to Twitter by CNBC's Meg Tirrell.
The move came a day after Stat reported that COVID-19 vaccine maker Moderna, plus biotech heavyweight Amgen, had pulled out of the in-person conference. It also comes as the newest pandemic variant, omicron, continues its global spread.
Responding to the Stat report Tuesday, Alnylam CEO John Maraganore, Ph.D., said on Twitter that the event "should go virtual to avoid a super-spreader event and a PR disaster for our industry."
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JPM 2022 is the 40th annual healthcare conference hosted by the investment bank. When it's an in-person event, it's characterized by overflowing banquet halls, crowded conference rooms and wall-to-wall meetings.
JPMorgan said it's looking forward to hosting the event in San Francisco in 2023.