A once daily controlled release pharmaceutical compositions comprising tapentadol, wherein preferably the mean Tmax of tapentadol is reached after 10 hours of administration of the composition. The composition comprises tapentadol, such that it maintains serum concentration of tapentadol of at least about 20 ng/ml for at least about 17 hours after oral administration of the composition. According to one embodiment the controlled release pharmaceutical composition comprises tapentadol, which is gastroretentive.