Dec 14 (Reuters) - Drugmaker Sarepta Therapeutics Inc on Tuesday pulled out from the annual JP Morgan healthcare conference that will be held in person next year, citing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

The conference - considered the healthcare sector's biggest financial event - will be held in January in San Francisco and usually involves company presentations on products for would-be investors.

"As we all try to safely navigate COVID-19, providing a virtual option for the conference would help mitigate the risk of transmission and exposure while allowing for the collective desire to return to normalcy," a Sarepta spokesperson said.

Other companies such as Amgen Inc and Moderna Inc have also pulled out of the conference due to COVID-19 concerns, Stat News reported, citing sources.

Amgen and Moderna did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Concerns over the fast-spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus have in recent weeks prompted major companies to take steps to protect their staff.

JPMorgan Chase & Co on Tuesday instructed unvaccinated staff in Manhattan to work from home, a week after investment bank Jefferies Financial Group asked staff to work remotely due to a spate of COVID-19 cases. (Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni)