In 2013, Upton introduced a bill that would grant the Food and Drug Administration more power to regulate drug compounding in the wake of the New England Compounding Center meningitis outbreak. In 2016, President Obama signed 21st Century Cures Act into law, which was a bill, co-sponsored by Upton. The act establishes funds for biomedical research and to develop and implement a strategic plan for biomedical research. In 2018, Upton and Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) worked together on legislation designed to combat opioid addiction. Among other things, it would allocate funding for research into new, non-addictive pain relievers.